This unique drone folds in the air for an important purpose

Drones usually operate on the same principles that are well known to us – they deactivate the propellers only when they land on a stable and flat surface. However, scientists have found an interesting potential in an unusual approach where the drone folds up in the air without the use of any actuators.

The work of scientists from HiPeRLab abandons boredom in favor of new opportunities. Their drone folds in the air as if its arms broke in an instant

Quadcopters are one of the most common drones, and the name of this type simply comes down to the fact that they have four identical propellers on fixed arms positioned (usually) at each end of the housing. There are experiments with setting them at different angles in real time (using actuators, i.e. energy), but it was difficult to find solutions similar to the drone of scientists from HiPeRLab.

They decided to use a simple mechanism of folding arms attached to the rectangular body “on request”, because it all comes down to simple hinges. These, in the absence of thrust from the propellers, fold instantly due to the force of gravity and return to their original position as soon as the propeller starts to spin to suitably high values. It is worth noting that the operation of this mechanism is carried out without energy consumption and after folding the arms in flight, the drone can quickly regain stability.

Also read: Modular and optionally unmanned – this is the Model 412 Encore drone from Scaled Composites

This configuration with the appropriate enrichment of both arms with suction cups or grippers allows, among others to grab the box with one of the pairs and move around with the other. In addition, it significantly improves the flight itself, allowing the drone to squeeze through narrow holes of all kinds, or even “rest” on the power lines.