Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.
Issue link: https://insideunmanned.epubxp.com/i/668560
48 unmanned systems inside April/May 2016 AIR INNOVATION in one part of the system amplify those in another—a big energ y saving principal, Ratti said. In the case of the Dragonf ly, this insect has four wings, which gives it a lot of power and the ability to lift more. The Robot Dragon- f ly can carry a battery pack for power and is any where from six inches to 24 inches, depending on the wing size. There are different versions of the Robot Dragonf ly—one that's proficient in forward f light that favors gliding and another that fa- vors hovering, Ratti said. Those with smaller wing sizes are better at hovering and behave almost like a humming bird. The next version, coming out soon, will see a reduction in size to four inches. And these insect-sized drones can be used for more than just military applications, Ratti said. He sees them offering benefits in secu- Photo courtesy of Flyability ROBOT ROACHES While most of us would rather not think about it, we all know cockroaches seem to be indestructible. They can maneuver themselves through the tiniest, seemingly impassable, cracks. No matter how you try to kill them, they always f nd a way to escape unharmed. These striking skills could be real assets for robots during search and rescue missions, as well as other applications. That's why about two years ago, Kaushik Jayaram, who was a PhD student at UC Berkley at the time, began studying cockroaches to f nd out just how they're able to do these things. He set up a variety of obstacle courses consisting of tight crevices and conf ned spaces to test their skills, and what he found was pretty impressive. They have malleable exoskeletons they can compress in less than a second, making them only one quarter their normal height—all while running incredibly fast. To learn more about the research and the prototype he developed as a result, read "Researchers looking to cockroaches to inspire robot design" at insideunmannedsystems.com. "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT take-home messages was the ability of insects to fl y in complex spaces. Basically their eyes were like little optical fl ow machines." Patrick Thévoz, co-founder and CEO of Flyability Flyability's Gimball The Gimball is inspired by the fl y. Its protective cage enables it to keep moving even after colliding with objects.