Robots have traditionally been purpose-built to perform a single, very specific task, but researchers at Beihang University are taking a very different approach with a new robot drone that can work just as easily underwater as in the air, and it features a clever nature-inspired trick to maximize range.
When you think of robots, you probably think of one of two versions: the highly capable humanoids science fiction has promised us, or the mindless articulated arms that perform repetitive tasks in factories. The latter approach is more or less where we’ve been for decades, but as technology slowly catches up with the imaginations of sci-fi writers, robot designers are starting to develop automata that can perform a wider variety of actions. The place of Boston Dynamicsfor example, uses four dog-like paws to navigate different terrains and perform many different missions, including protecting the ruins of Pompeii at night and generating detailed 3D maps of areas too dangerous for humans to visit.
The customizable approach makes it easier for companies or research organizations to justify the high cost of a robot, but what Beihang University’s Biomechanics and Soft Robotics Lab has created is truly unique. Even with highly articulated legs, the Boston Dynamics Spot is still limited to land-based missions. This new drone can perform tasks underwater, in the air, or both without any intermediate adjustments.
For most quadcopter drones, a water landing means the pilot has to wade out to rescue it (and then replace most of its electronic components). This drone is different. It is completely waterproof and features a set of self-folding propellers that collapse when used at lower speeds underwater to efficiently maneuver the drone when submerged. They will then automatically extend as the drone comes out of the water and takes to the air. The researchers optimized the drone’s performance so that the transition from water to air takes about a third of a second, and like a group of dolphins leaping out of the water, the drone is capable of repeated transitions from water to air, involving seven of them sequentially during testing in about 20 seconds.
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As with any electronic device, a robot’s autonomous capabilities are often limited by the capacity of its batteries, and that’s especially the case for flying drones that rely on four electric motors that constantly spin to stay in the air. In lab settings, you’ll often see sophisticated robots attached to cable ties that provide a non-stop power source, but that’s not a great option for bots designed to explore the ocean depths or collect aerial data — or both, in this case.
To dramatically increase this drone’s range and help conserve battery power when traveling to and from a mission location, the researchers gave it an additional upgrade, inspired by the remora fish, more commonly known as the suction fish, which uses an adhesive disc. used on top of its head to temporarily attach itself to other underwater creatures to hitch a ride and save energy.
Drones that can land to conduct targeted observations while preserving battery life are not a new idea, but like robots in a factory, they usually use mechanisms tailored to specific surfaces, such as articulated claws gripping a branch or sticky, gecko-inspired feet that stick to walls. For a robotic drone designed with flexibility in mind, the researchers wanted a more versatile way to attach to a variety of surfaces: wet, dry, smooth, rough, curved, or even those moving underwater where the shear forces of the water an extra strong grip.
The remora fish adhesive disc was the perfect solution as it contains built-in redundancies that allow it to stick to surfaces even with partial contact. Two years ago, Li Wen, one of the researchers and authors of the paper published today, was part of another research project at Beihang University that reverse engineered how the remora fish’s disk worked.
That study found that remora fish stick to surfaces like a suction cup, with a flexible oval soft-tissue rim that provides a good seal. As water is squeezed out of the gap between the remora and its host, suction holds it in place. The surface of the disc of the remora fish is also covered with ridges aligned in columns and rows called lamellae (similar to the ridges you can feel on the roof of your mouth) that can be lengthened by muscle contractions to make small spinules that further grip the host. Those fin ridges also help create smaller suction compartments that maintain their seal even when the larger lip of the disc doesn’t. Unlike a suction cup, which releases its grip on a slippery surface when a small part of the rim is lifted, a remora fish will still hold on.
The team was able to create an artificial version of the remora fish’s suction disk using a four-layer approach. They combined an ultra-flexible layer on top with stiffer structures below, as well as a layer with a network of small channels that can inflate when pumped full of fluid, replacing living muscle tissue as a way to engage the lamellar structures to further increase suction. enlarge .
Installed on top of the underwater drone, the suction mechanism allows it to adhere to various surfaces, even if they have a rough texture, are not perfectly flat or have a smaller surface area than the suction mechanism. Like a remora fish, the drone could, at least in theory, find a host underwater (one that isn’t immediately deterred by its spinning propellers) and strap itself in for a free ride, requiring only the suction mechanism to be powered, what a minimal load on the built-in batteries. The same could be done in the air, although the challenges of the drone successfully attaching itself to another aircraft would be enormous, as even something as slow as a glider has a minimum speed of 40 mph: a challenging moving target.
A more plausible use of the suction mechanism is to temporarily position the drone somewhere with an ideal vantage point for long-term observations. Rather than relying on its four motors to maintain a specific position underwater while fighting moving currents, the drone could stick itself to a rock or log and shut off its motors, while still using sensors and cameras. supplies power. The same can be done above the waterline, with the drone flying up and sticking itself to the side of a tall building or the underside of a wind turbine nacelle, taking measurements and other data collection without using the battery drains of motors. It is a solution to battery technology that is still incredibly limited and bypasses the need to repair the batteries yourself.
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