Isn’t it great that there are researchers whose job is simply to create a robotic bird? That is certainly the goal of this lab, of which the flapping-wing drone, or ornithopter, has now been equipped with a gripping claw to rest it on a nearby branch or maybe even a finger – a possibility that could make it a much more practical tool.
There’s a good reason why flying has evolved over time to take advantage of flapping wings – they’re a lot easier for a bird or insect to grow than rotors or jets, for example. Elegance is a hallmark of nature’s designs, and winged creatures fly or glide with a minimum of energy and a great deal of grace.
It should come as no surprise that scientists have struggled for decades to replicate winged flapping flight in robotic form, though, like all biomimetics research, with varying degrees of success. But the École Polytechnique Fedérale de Lausanne – one of Switzerland’s famous technical universities – and the University of Seville do quite well.
The European multi-agency GRIFFIN project, let’s admit it first, has the most far-fetched backronym I’ve ever come across, and I’ve come across many: General conformal antenna Robot manipulation system Integration of fixed and flapping wings to increase range and safety . My God!
The project’s winged flight has been going on for years, with several successes noted the project’s YouTube page and Place. You see it fluttering in this recent video.
But the problem with this method, as with many flies, is energy. Not enough power and you can’t fly for long – but too big a battery and you can’t fly at all! (Incidentally, it gives a new respect for eagles that carry off cattle.) In the laboratory, a balance must be struck between size and capacity. But the recent addition of a grappling claw could make that less of a concern.
Image Credits: EPFL/Raphael Zufferey
The talon (just one, to save weight), like the rest of the ornithopter, had to be strong but light, capable of gripping different sized perches and interacting with the GRIFFIN’s perceptive engine. The one they designed synchronizes with the movement of the flutter, and the design, with a kind of silicone band as the first contact, grips gently but firmly and without shocking the robot.
Just don’t put your finger in it. Image Credits: EPFL/Raphael Zufferey
“Once an ornithopter can land autonomously on a tree branch, it has the potential to perform specific tasks, such as stealthily collecting biological samples or taking measurements from a tree. Eventually, it could even land on man-made structures, which could open up further fields of application,” said Raphael Zufferey, a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL currently working on GRIFFIN in Seville.
It’s not just that it can land on a branch and do something; it’s that it doesn’t have to go all the way back to the surface. If you use half your energy to go from ground level to 10 meters, it really limits what you can do. But if you can land on a branch, charge a little bit (why don’t you have a little solar cell there?), do some work like take a photo or take a sample, then jump to another branch across the street and do the same … it’s starting to look less like a tech demo and a lot more like a capable robotic bird.
Zufferey hopes to continue development along these lines; the grab really opens things up for the project. But they’re not the only ones out there: hummingbird-inspired drones, dragonfly-inspired drones, and even bee-inspired drones are being developed for different purposes and in different stages of readiness. Just don’t tell the “birds aren’t real” people about it.
