A Multi-Modal Tailless Flapping-Wing Robot Capable of Flying, Crawling, Self-Righting and Horizontal Take-Off

Abstract

Multi-modal flapping robots demonstrate potential capabilities to accomplish assigned missions in confined indoor and outdoor environments. In this letter, inspired by the multimodal movement of insects, we report a multimodal tailless flapping wing robot capable of flying, crawling, self-righting and horizontal take-off. The robot has two pairs of wings, and achieves flight attitude stabilization and control through wing stroke-plane modulation. Terrestrial locomotion is accomplished through a hexapod crawling mechanism driven by a set of two geared motors. Horizontal take-off is achieved by flapping wings and stroke-plane modulation, it can reduce the fuselage height of the crawling mode, so that the robot can crawl through smaller gaps. Furthermore, this mechanism enables the robot to self-right in the event of overturning. Currently, the robot weighs 35.4 g, has a wingspan of 33 cm, and it could fly at a maximum speed of about 5 m/s or crawl on the ground at a speed of up to 30 cm/s. And the robot could endure up to 8.2 minutes in flight or over 60 minutes in crawling using an onboard battery. Experiments show that the robot has demonstrated the ability to flexibly transition between flight and crawling modes, and it could fly in intricate environments and crawl through small gaps.