Nature inspires drones of the future

Nature inspires drones
of the future
Researchers have been taking tips from nature to
build the next generation of flying robots.
Based on the mechanisms adopted by birds, bats,
insects and snakes, 14 distinguished research
teams have developed solutions to some of the
common problems that drones could be faced with
when navigating through an urban environment and
performing novel tasks for the benefit of society.
Whether this is avoiding obstacles, picking up and
delivering items or improving the take-off and
landing on tricky surfaces, it is hoped the solutions
can lead to the deployment of drones in complex
urban environments in a number of different ways,
from military surveillance and search and rescue
efforts to flying camera phones and reliable courier
services. For this, drones need exquisite flight
control.
The research teams have presented their work
today, 23 May, in a special issue of IOP Publishing's
journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, devoted to
bio-inspired flight control.
The first small drones have already been used in
search and rescue operations to investigate
difficult-to-reach and hazardous areas, such as in
Fukushima, Japan. A research team from Hungary
believe these efforts could be improved if robots
are able to work in tandem, and have developed an
algorithm that allows a number of drones to fly
together like a flock of birds.
The effectiveness of the algorithm was
demonstrated by using it to direct the movements
of a flock of nine individual quadcopters whilst they
followed a moving car.
While this collective movement may be helpful when
searching vast expanses of land, a group of
researchers from Harvard University have
developed a millimetre-sized drone with a view to
using it to explore extremely cramped and tight
spaces.
The microrobot they designed, which was the size
of a one cent coin, could take off and land and hover
in the air for sustained periods of time. In their
new paper, the researchers have demonstrated the
first simple, fly-like manoeuvres. In the future,
millimetre-sized drones could also be used in
assisted agriculture pollination and reconnaissance,
and could aid future studies of insect flight.
Once deployed into the real world, drones will be
faced with the extremely tricky task of dealing
with the elements, which could be extreme heat,
the freezing cold, torrential rain or
thunderstorms.
The most challenging problem for airborne robots
will be strong winds and whirlwinds, which a
research team, from the University of North
Caroline at Chapel Hill, University of California and
The Johns Hopkins University, have begun to tackle
by studying the hawk moth.
In their study, the researchers flew hawk moths
through a number of different whirlwind conditions
in a vortex chamber, carefully examining the
mechanisms that the hawk moths used to
successfully regain flight control.
Researchers must also find a way of reducing the
amount of power that is required to operate
drones, which a team from the Université de
Sherbrooke and Stanford University have achieved
by creating a "jumpglider."
Inspired by vertebrates like the flying squirrel, the
flying fish and the flying snake, which use their
aerodynamic bodies to extend their jumping range
to avoid predators, the "jumpglider" combines an
aeroplane-shaped body with a spring-based
mechanical foot that propels the robot into the air.
The researchers believe the "jumpglider" can be
used in search and rescue efforts, operating at low
power and offering a significant advantage over
land-based robots by being able to navigate around
obstacles and over rough terrain.
In his opening editorial, Guest Editor of the special
issue, Dr David Lentink, from Stanford University,
writes: "Flying animals can be found everywhere in
our cities. From scavenging pigeons to alcohol-
sniffing fruit flies that make precision landings on
our wine glasses, these animals have quickly learnt
how to control their flight through urban
environments to exploit our resources.
"To enable our drones to fly equally well in wind and
clutter, we need to solve several flight control
challenges during all flight phases: take-off,
cruising, and landing.
"This special issue provides a unique integration
between biological studies of animals and bio-
inspired engineering solutions. Each of the 14
papers presented in this special issue offer a
unique perspective on bio-mimetic flight, providing
insights and solutions to the take-off, obstacle
avoidance, in-flight grasping, swarming, and
landing capabilities that urban drones need to
succeed."