Morphing Multi-Modal Robots

Autonomous vehicle utility has reached a plateau due to mobility constraints on the current generation of robots. Of particular note is the inability of existing systems to manoeuvre in more than one substrate. Although no mature examples of morphing (flying/crawling) robots exist today, many animals possess the ability of locomotion in more than one medium. For example, the preferred mode of locomotion of birds, bats and some insects is flight, but many are also quite efficient on the ground. Robotic performance typically reflects a similar design space as small animals; multiple locomotion modes could represent a generational leap in their utility. It is the aim of this research to facilitate such capabilities and provide a foundation for a new generation of mobile robots. Potential applications include: surveillance, reconnaissance, exploration, search/rescue, and remote inspection. Our first generation robot (pictured), fabricated in pilot research in the USA (in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University, the University of Florida, and the Naval Postgraduate School), is the only existing man-portable robot that can fly, land, and crawl in a continuous sequence of actions. Our prototype can be launched manually, walk itself to fly off of a rooftop, and can also be deployed from larger (air or ground) vehicles. Versions of the robot, all exploiting insect-inspired aerial and/or terrestrial locomotion mechanisms, have flown autonomously, subsumed wing-folding mechanisms, and taken off successfully from the ground. Video of the robot during (US) military field testing is available at: http://faculty.nps.edu/ravi/BioRobotics/Projects.htm