This Origami Drone's Rubbery Arms Can Withstand the Impact of Crashes
Rahul Kalvapalle — July 30, 2018 — Tech
References: actu.epfl.ch & newatlas
A team of scientists and engineers at EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems have developed a high-tech origami drone that is designed to be able to manipulate its structure so as to minimize the potential damage that can be caused in a crash situation.
What's great about this particular origami drone is that its arms, which are clearly inspired by insect wings, are crafted out of a special elastic material that is situated between layers of harder material. This design allows the drone's arms to maintain a stiff state for easy flying, but when a lot of force is experienced in the event of a crash, the arms are still able to bend.
With its compact design and improved ability to withstand impact, this origami drone could be highly suitable for industrial inspection tasks as well as disaster relief support work.
What's great about this particular origami drone is that its arms, which are clearly inspired by insect wings, are crafted out of a special elastic material that is situated between layers of harder material. This design allows the drone's arms to maintain a stiff state for easy flying, but when a lot of force is experienced in the event of a crash, the arms are still able to bend.
With its compact design and improved ability to withstand impact, this origami drone could be highly suitable for industrial inspection tasks as well as disaster relief support work.
Trend Themes
1. Crash-resistant Drones - Opportunity for drones to be developed with structures that minimize damage in crash situations.
2. Elastic Materials - Potential for the use of elastic materials in various industries to enhance impact resistance.
3. Compact Design - Demand for compact drones that can withstand crashes and perform industrial inspection tasks or disaster relief support work.
Industry Implications
1. Drone Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity for drone manufacturers to create crash-resistant drones for various applications.
2. Material Science - Opportunity for material scientists to develop and optimize elastic materials for impact resistance in different industries.
3. Industrial Inspection - Potential for the use of crash-resistant drones in industrial inspection tasks to improve safety and efficiency.
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