Researchers from Ben-Gurion University in Israel have developed a new robot drone that flies like a quadcopter and can drive on rugged terrain.

They claim the new multi-use flying robot drone can be used for a variety of applications including search and rescue, agriculture, maintenance, cleaning, filming, entertainment, security.

The experimental robot drone known as FSTAR was unveiled at the recent IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2019 in Montreal.

FSTAR (flying sprawl-tuned autonomous robot) was invented by Professor David Zarrouk, head of BGU’s Bio-Inspired and Medical Robotics Lab, and his graduate student Nir Meiri.

The hybrid model can squeeze into tight spaces, fly over obstacles or run underneath them.

The sprawl, which adjusts from a flat configuration to 55 degrees, allows the robot to transform its movement from a flying quadcopter to a car-like robot.

It also adjusts its width to crawl or run on flat surfaces, climb over large obstacles and up closely spaced walls, or squeeze through a tunnel, pipe or narrow gaps.

FSTAR can run on the ground at a speed of up to 2.6m per second.

That ability, combined with low energy consumption, makes FSTAR ideal for a broad range of applications that may require longer work time, said Zarrouk.

“We plan to develop larger and smaller versions to expand this family of sprawling robots for different applications, as well as algorithms that will help exploit speed and cost of transport for these flying/driving robots,” he said.

Possible commercial applications include package deliveries in remote and difficult to access regions.

Zarrouk and Meiri’s research was supported in part by the Helmsley Charitable Trust through the Agricultural, Biological and Cognitive Robotics Initiative (ABC Robotics) and by the BGU Marcus Endowment Fund. 

Source: Israel21C

The FSTAR flying/driving robot Credit: Prof. David Zarrouk/BGU