Communications of the ACM
Foldable Drone Can Navigate Narrow Holes
Researchers in Switzerland have developed a drone that can compress itself to pass through narrow spaces and then revert to its previous shape, all while continuing to fly.
Credit: UZH
A drone that can compress itself to pass through narrow spaces and then revert to its previous shape, all while continuing to fly, has been developed by researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL).
The quadrotor drone has four propellers that rotate independently, mounted on mobile arms that can fold around the drone’s main frame.
The drone also is equipped with a control system that adapts in real time to any new position of the arms, adjusting the thrust of the propellers as the center of gravity shifts.
Said the University of Zurich’s Davide Falanga, "The final goal is to give the drone a high-level instruction such as 'enter that building, inspect every room and come back' and let it figure out by itself how to do it.”
From UPI
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