Researchers at EPFL have created a drone that flies almost like a bird. It’s not your typical drone; there are no horizontal blades like you’d see in a Phantom
Dario Floreano and his team set out to develop a drone that could meet multiple aerodynamic constraints. It would be capable of soaring past obstacles, turning sharp corners, and withstanding strong winds. Like a real bird, the drone can satisfy all of these requirements by altering the shape of its geometry mid-flight. Each outer wing is affixed with a special moving part that extends and retracts; feathers on each wing fold and overlap similar to a fan.
“We were inspired by birds: they can radically transform the size and shape of their wings because they have an articulated skeleton that is controlled by muscles and covered in feathers that overlap when the wings are folded,” explained Matteo Di Luca.
One particular design challenge with mimicking nature in a drone was finding the balance between the device’s aerodynamic efficiency and weight. “It is extremely difficult to find the right balance between aerodynamic efficiency and the weight of the device,” says Stefano Mintchev.
Each wing is made of a fiberglass and nylon composite material. Carbon fiber is added for maximum strength while keeping the overall weight to a minimum. Floreano, says this drone is a promising project. “With the foldable wings, we discovered that we didn’t need ailerons to help the drone turn. By changing the wingspan and surface area during flight, we could make it turn automatically.”
Source: EPFL
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