Micro UAV Features Improved Landing Mechanism (+VIDEO)
Some time ago Stanford’s Biomimetics and Dexterous Manipulation Lab conducted experiments with a perching mechanism for a fixed-wing aircraft, as well as systems for the wall-climbing Stickybot. Having advanced the landing mechanism, a group of scientists from the laboratories at Stanford, the University of Maryland, and MIT are now developing a quadcopter, offering a wide range of applications in military and search and rescue operations. The UAV would be able to land on any surface, like walls or ceilings, and then take off again, thus saving power or taking time to recharge an onboard battery. Finding better shelter from harsh weather or falling debris in a disaster zone would be also a piece of cake for it. Once it hits a flat spot at any angle, the adhesives are deployed and the tendons tightened, creating enough surface friction to form a strong grip. You can see from the video below a quadcopter landing on a smooth sheet of acrylic at an angle or upside down. Developers to improve UAV, so that it will be able to attach to rough surfaces, fly away from a landing point, and even crawl along walls.
Via:gizmag.com
