Scientists have created a unique drone with bat wings: what makes it better than other UAVs (video)

An unusual robot with flexible wings can change its shape on the fly and squeeze into very narrow spaces where no one else can fly.

A group of scientists from the United States has created an Aerobat drone that works like a bat. She published research in the International Journal of Robotics Research, reports to Popular Science.

Bats — some of the most unorthodox flyers in the animal world. Unlike birds, these fluffy flying mammals can dynamically change the shape of their wings to achieve maximum strength and hover in place. The soft membrane of their wings, which looks more like a human hand than a bird's wing, is also extremely flexible, meaning bats can bend to squeeze into narrow corridors.

The Northeastern University team tried to reproduce these properties in Aerobat. A flying robot was released that can move in very difficult conditions: sewer tunnels, caves and other narrow corridors inaccessible to others.

To create unique wings, scientists used a combination of soft and hard materials printed on a 3D printer. Like a bat, they turned out to be thin, flexible, able to expand when moving down and contract when moving up. As the creators explained, these movements create “periodic air jets” that are used to maximize net positive aerodynamic force. The result is a highly effective method of flight support.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

“In some literary sources, the flight of bats is described as a dance in the air. They don't just fly, they dance in the air with great self-control. They try to manipulate their current environment, and this is unique to bats,” — commented Alireza Ramezani, associate professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the Northeastern University and the lead author of the article.

In addition to its wings, the Aerobat uses a camera to determine its position and orientation. Then a set of on-board computers is used for automatic flight control. A person still needs to manually determine the Aerobat's final destination. However, once this is determined, the robotic bat will flap its wings and move to its destination completely autonomously. The Aerobat can then hover in place and use an array of sensors to collect data about the environment.

“The whole idea is to develop biologically inspired drones that can operate in extremely tight and confined environments,” Ramezani added. — We are surrounded by closed space, and we do not have fast robots that can help us with remote sensing and other tasks.”