GimBall: a spherical copter for rescue

The company Flyability has developed a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle. The device was called GimBall, a twin-engine copter, enclosed in a light spherical carbon fiber body. The rotor is attached to the internal axis, which rotates freely. This decision was made to ensure that the drone was not afraid of collisions with obstacles - in a carboxylic shell, most of these “accidents” are completely safe for the device.

GimBall is equipped with an electronic stabilization system that helps the device to always occupy the correct position in space and within its “cell”. It is worth noting that the carbon body protects not only GimBall, but also the people whom the device will be looking for. Situations are different, and you need to be firmly convinced that the "rescuer" will not harm a person affected by an earthquake, fire or explosion, falling on his head or injuring a screw.


')
The project has already won a million dollars in the framework of the Drones for Good competition, so the GimBall team will now be able to refine its device, making it more versatile. In terms of further work there is, for example, the task of adding a thermal imager, as well as a reliable orientation system inside the room.

Instead of avoiding obstacles, the device, in some cases, will look for collisions. This is necessary, for example, to create a map of a room or a building in a difficult situation, and the construction itself is broken. The developers promise to soon show the updated GimBall with more features.