|
Insect-Inspried GimBall Robot can Handle Impacts
|
|
The GimBall flying robot sphere was designed to crash into objects without damaging itself, bouncing off of them and continuing on its way.
|
The GimBall quadcopter is encased in a round, flexible cage that protects it from impacts. A double-carbon ring within the cage rotates in the event of a collision, keeping the robot’s gyroscopically-stabilized body properly oriented and allowing it to recover quickly from impacts. The Gimball has applications in search-and-rescue missions, and is equipped with a camera that could relay information back to emergency responders.
The carbon-ring stabilizing system was inspired by insects, which are able to bounce off of obstacles and continue on their journey without much apparent difficulty.
|
ideaconnection.com (tdkhiem)
|