This innovative hitchhiker drone, developed by Sensen Liu from the Lab of Cooperative Intelligence of Unmanned Systems, can safely land on the side of a moving vehicle or even a skyscraper. It first scouts the surrounding environment while the vehicle is in motion, thus providing real-time analysis of where the drone can safely latch onto.
A trajectory planning algorithm had to be developed that accounts for the individual thrust of each rotor before a two-stage tracking approach capable of analyzing both the droneโs position and attitude can be employed. Self-sealing suction cups arranged in a wheel configuration along its underside enable it to latch onto surfaces, even those with steep inclines, and ensure they come into contact with the desired landing surface.
- ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ - The drone is lightweight and compact, weighing...
- ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ - Under 249 g, FAA Registration and Remote ID are not required if...
- ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ - Enjoy longer flights with DJI Mini 2 SE, which offers a 31-min max flight...
Our interest stems from the fact that many structuresโincluding buildings, bridges, and ground vehiclesโfeature inclined surfaces that are difficult for traditional drones to land on. By creating drones with this capability, we can leverage these surfaces as landing sites and expand the possibilities for the use of drone technology,” said Sensen Liu, Postdoctoral Researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong Universityโs School of Mechanical Engineering.
