Demonstrations of bio-inspired perching landing gear for UAVs

Mindy Tieu; Duncan M. Michael; Jeffery B. Pflueger; Manik S. Sethi; Kelli N. Shimazu; Tatiana M. Anthony; Christopher L. Lee

doi:10.1117/12.2218167

22 April 2016 Demonstrations of bio-inspired perching landing gear for UAVs

Mindy Tieu, Duncan M. Michael, Jeffery B. Pflueger, Manik S. Sethi, Kelli N. Shimazu, Tatiana M. Anthony, Christopher L. Lee

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9797, Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Bioreplication 2016; 97970X (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218167
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Abstract

Results are presented which demonstrate the feasibility and performance of two concepts of biologically-inspired landing-gear systems that enable bird-sized, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) to land, perch, and take-off from branchlike structures and/or ledges. The first concept follows the anatomy of birds that can grasp ahold of a branch and perch as tendons in their legs are tensioned. This design involves a gravity-activated, cable-driven, underactuated, graspingfoot mechanism. As the UAV lands, its weight collapses a four-bar linkage pulling a cable which curls two opposing, multi-segmented feet to grasp the landing target. Each foot is a single, compliant mechanism fabricated by simultaneouly 3D-printing a flexible thermo-plastic and a stiffer ABS plastic. The design is optimized to grasp structures over a range of shapes and sizes. Quasi-static and flight tests of this landing gear affixed to RC rotorcraft (24 cm to 550 cm in diameter) demonstrate that the aircraft can land, perch, and take-off from a tree branch, rectangular wood board, PVC pipe, metal hand rail, chair armrest, and in addition, a stone wall ledge. Stability tests show that perching is maintained under base and wind disturbances. The second design concept, inspired by roosting bats, is a two-material, 3D-printed hooking mechanism that enables the UAV to stably suspend itself from a wire or small-diameter branch. The design balances structural stiffness for support and flexibility for the perching process. A flight-test demonstrates the attaching and dis-engaging of a small, RC quadcopter from a suspended line.

Citation Download Citation

Mindy Tieu, Duncan M. Michael, Jeffery B. Pflueger, Manik S. Sethi, Kelli N. Shimazu, Tatiana M. Anthony, and Christopher L. Lee "Demonstrations of bio-inspired perching landing gear for UAVs", Proc. SPIE 9797, Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Bioreplication 2016, 97970X (22 April 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218167

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