GimBall - a flying robot that bounces off walls like a ball
Last summer, scientists from the laboratory of intellectual systems of the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne demonstrated a prototype of a flying robot that is not afraid of falls and collisions with obstacles. The essence of the idea is that the robot is surrounded by a light carbon fiber frame that protects it from damage, and after the falls, the robot turns over to the working position with elastic legs.
The new version of the robot - GimBall - has progressed much further - the protective frame has a spherical shape and freely rotates around the body of the robot. This allows not only to avoid damage, but also to maintain perfect handling after any collisions. The robot literally bounces off the walls and ceiling like a ball, while the rotors remain in position. Another advantage of GimBall is that the cells of the protective sphere are small enough to reliably protect the screws and the body not only from even walls and building structures, but also from branches of trees and bushes. During the tests, the robot without problems flew through the forest for several hundred meters, constantly bumping into thickets.
The ultimate goal of developers is to ensure that robots, like insects, can fly freely in complex environments and withstand constant collisions with obstacles. Moreover, they are trying not only to avoid the unpleasant effects of collisions, but also to use them.
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One of the directions of the laboratory is devoted to the study of the capabilities of tactile sensors for navigation - a robot equipped with a set of such sensors is able to navigate the room by touch or “roll” along a vertical wall or ceiling. Such a robot can easily do without a complex system of computer vision and work where there is little use from sight - in caves or smoke filled rooms.
In the future, another scenario of using collisions to improve performance is possible - the robot can be taught to bump into obstacles on purpose, at a certain angle and at a certain speed, which can significantly improve its maneuverability - instead of smooth turns requiring a reduction in speed, it will change direction rapidly, like billiard ball.
The new version of the robot - GimBall - has progressed much further - the protective frame has a spherical shape and freely rotates around the body of the robot. This allows not only to avoid damage, but also to maintain perfect handling after any collisions. The robot literally bounces off the walls and ceiling like a ball, while the rotors remain in position. Another advantage of GimBall is that the cells of the protective sphere are small enough to reliably protect the screws and the body not only from even walls and building structures, but also from branches of trees and bushes. During the tests, the robot without problems flew through the forest for several hundred meters, constantly bumping into thickets.
The ultimate goal of developers is to ensure that robots, like insects, can fly freely in complex environments and withstand constant collisions with obstacles. Moreover, they are trying not only to avoid the unpleasant effects of collisions, but also to use them.
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One of the directions of the laboratory is devoted to the study of the capabilities of tactile sensors for navigation - a robot equipped with a set of such sensors is able to navigate the room by touch or “roll” along a vertical wall or ceiling. Such a robot can easily do without a complex system of computer vision and work where there is little use from sight - in caves or smoke filled rooms.
In the future, another scenario of using collisions to improve performance is possible - the robot can be taught to bump into obstacles on purpose, at a certain angle and at a certain speed, which can significantly improve its maneuverability - instead of smooth turns requiring a reduction in speed, it will change direction rapidly, like billiard ball.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/201102/
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