An Aerial Robot Achieving Bimodal Flight and Independent Attitude Control through Passive Morphing

0:03 Introduction
0:36 Bimodal Flight
1:00 Mode Transition
1:49 Mapping Application

Enhancing the adaptability and versatility of unmanned micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) is crucial for expanding their application range. In this article, we present a bimodal reconfigurable robot capable of operating in both regular quadcopter flight mode and a unique revolving flight mode, which allows independent control of the vehicle’s position and roll-pitch attitude. This design incorporates passive revolute joints that enable seamless mid-air transitions between the two modes, facilitated by centrifugal forces, without the need for additional actuators. In the regular mode, the robot operates with four vertical propellers, similar to conventional designs. In the revolving mode, the configuration shifts to two horizontal and two vertical propellers, achieving five degrees of freedom control with four actuators. This underactuated flight capability is made possible by exploiting the robot's fast revolving motion and the resulting cycle-averaged forces and torques. Experimental validations confirm the feasibility and enhanced maneuverability of this design. The revolving flight mode provides significant advantages in applications such as mapping and confined space navigation.

Jihao Xu and Pakpong Chirarattananon
Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2024