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Liu H, Tian H, Wang D, Yuan T, Zhang J, Liu G, Li X, Chen X, Wang C, Cai S, Shao J. Electrically active smart adhesive for a perching-and-takeoff robot. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj3133. [PMID: 37889978 PMCID: PMC10610914 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Perching-and-takeoff robot can effectively economize onboard power and achieve long endurance. However, dynamic perching on moving targets for a perching-and-takeoff robot is still challenging due to less autonomy to dynamically land, tremendous impact during landing, and weak contact adaptability to perching surfaces. Here, a self-sensing, impact-resistant, and contact-adaptable perching-and-takeoff robot based on all-in-one electrically active smart adhesives is proposed to reversibly perch on moving/static dry/wet surfaces and economize onboard energy. Thereinto, attachment structures with discrete pillars have contact adaptability on different dry/wet surfaces, stable adhesion, and anti-rebound; sandwich-like artificial muscles lower weight, enhance damping, simplify control, and achieve fast adhesion switching (on-off ratio approaching ∞ in several seconds); and the flexible pressure (0.204% per kilopascal)-and-deformation (force resolution, <2.5 millinewton) sensor enables the robot's autonomy. Thus, the perching-and-takeoff robot equipped with electrically active smart adhesives exhibits tremendous advantages of soft materials over their rigid counterparts and promising application prospect of dynamic perching on moving targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology (FIST), Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Hongmiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Duorui Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Tengfei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Guifang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Xiangming Li
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology (FIST), Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoliang Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology (FIST), Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Chunhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Shengqiang Cai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jinyou Shao
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology (FIST), Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
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Nguyen PH, Patnaik K, Mishra S, Polygerinos P, Zhang W. A Soft-Bodied Aerial Robot for Collision Resilience and Contact-Reactive Perching. Soft Robot 2023; 10:838-851. [PMID: 37079376 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Current aerial robots demonstrate limited interaction capabilities in unstructured environments when compared with their biological counterparts. Some examples include their inability to tolerate collisions and to successfully land or perch on objects of unknown shapes, sizes, and texture. Efforts to include compliance have introduced designs that incorporate external mechanical impact protection at the cost of reduced agility and flight time due to the added weight. In this work, we propose and develop a lightweight, inflatable, soft-bodied aerial robot (SoBAR) that can pneumatically vary its body stiffness to achieve intrinsic collision resilience. Unlike the conventional rigid aerial robots, SoBAR successfully demonstrates its ability to repeatedly endure and recover from collisions in various directions, not only limited to in-plane ones. Furthermore, we exploit its capabilities to demonstrate perching where the three-dimensional collision resilience helps in improving the perching success rates. We also augment SoBAR with a novel hybrid fabric-based bistable (HFB) grasper that can utilize impact energies to perform contact-reactive grasping through rapid shape conforming abilities. We exhaustively study and offer insights into the collision resilience, impact absorption, and manipulation capabilities of SoBAR with the HFB grasper. Finally, we compare the performance of conventional aerial robots with the SoBAR through collision characterizations, grasping identifications, and experimental validations of collision resilience and perching in various scenarios and on differently shaped objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pham H Nguyen
- School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, USA
| | - Karishma Patnaik
- School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, USA
| | - Shatadal Mishra
- School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, USA
| | - Panagiotis Polygerinos
- Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory (CSRL), School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Wenlong Zhang
- School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, USA
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Aucone E, Kirchgeorg S, Valentini A, Pellissier L, Deiner K, Mintchev S. Drone-assisted collection of environmental DNA from tree branches for biodiversity monitoring. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadd5762. [PMID: 36652506 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.add5762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The protection and restoration of the biosphere is crucial for human resilience and well-being, but the scarcity of data on the status and distribution of biodiversity puts these efforts at risk. DNA released into the environment by organisms, i.e., environmental DNA (eDNA), can be used to monitor biodiversity in a scalable manner if equipped with the appropriate tool. However, the collection of eDNA in terrestrial environments remains a challenge because of the many potential surfaces and sources that need to be surveyed and their limited accessibility. Here, we propose to survey biodiversity by sampling eDNA on the outer branches of tree canopies with an aerial robot. The drone combines a force-sensing cage with a haptic-based control strategy to establish and maintain contact with the upper surface of the branches. Surface eDNA is then collected using an adhesive surface integrated in the cage of the drone. We show that the drone can autonomously land on a variety of branches with stiffnesses between 1 and 103 newton/meter without prior knowledge of their structural stiffness and with robustness to linear and angular misalignments. Validation in the natural environment demonstrates that our method is successful in detecting animal species, including arthropods and vertebrates. Combining robotics with eDNA sampling from a variety of unreachable aboveground substrates can offer a solution for broad-scale monitoring of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Aucone
- Environmental Robotics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Kirchgeorg
- Environmental Robotics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kristy Deiner
- Environmental DNA Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Mintchev
- Environmental Robotics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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Zufferey R, Tormo-Barbero J, Feliu-Talegón D, Nekoo SR, Acosta JÁ, Ollero A. How ornithopters can perch autonomously on a branch. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7713. [PMID: 36513661 PMCID: PMC9747916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Flapping wings produce lift and thrust in bio-inspired aerial robots, leading to quiet, safe and efficient flight. However, to extend their application scope, these robots must perch and land, a feat widely demonstrated by birds. Despite recent progress, flapping-wing vehicles, or ornithopters, are to this day unable to stop their flight. In this paper, we present a process to autonomously land an ornithopter on a branch. This method describes the joint operation of a pitch-yaw-altitude flapping flight controller, an optical close-range correction system and a bistable claw appendage design that can grasp a branch within 25 milliseconds and re-open. We validate this method with a 700 g robot and demonstrate the first autonomous perching flight of a flapping-wing robot on a branch, a result replicated with a second robot. This work paves the way towards the application of flapping-wing robots for long-range missions, bird observation, manipulation, and outdoor flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Zufferey
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain ,grid.5333.60000000121839049Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jesus Tormo-Barbero
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniel Feliu-Talegón
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Saeed Rafee Nekoo
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - José Ángel Acosta
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Anibal Ollero
- grid.9224.d0000 0001 2168 1229GRVC Robotics Lab., Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y Automática Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Sakaguchi A, Yamamoto K. A Novel Quadrotor With a 3-Axis Deformable Frame Using Tilting Motions of Parallel Link Modules Without Thrust Loss. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3191195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akinori Sakaguchi
- Research Institute of Advanced Electric Propulsion Aircrafts, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kaoru Yamamoto
- Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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