Quadrocopters throw, catch, and balance an inverted pendulum
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A quadrocopter robot balances a pole while a second robot waits to catch it
A quadrocopter robot launches a pole into the air while a second robot moves into position to catch it
A quadrocopter moves perfectly into position, catching the falling pole precisely as it levels out
Quadrocopter robots balance, toss, and catch a pole at ETH Zurich's Flying Machine Arena
Researchers at ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control developed mathematical models to predict exactly how the robots would need to fly to pull off the feat
The quadrocopter robots were outfitted with a 12 cm / 4.7 inch plate with which to balance the pole
Article Summary
Apparently, balancing a pole on top of a flying quadrocopter robot wasn't challenging enough for the researchers at ETH Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control. Their latest project has two quadrocopters playing catch with a precariously balanced pole – the first robot launches the pole into the air, while the second robot deftly moves into position in less than a second to catch it as it falls. The incredible precision flying achieved by the team can be seen in a video after the break.
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