Aerial robotic with ‘elephant trunk’ developed for complicated mid-air manipulation duties

Professor Peng Lu and his workforce from the Division of Mechanical Engineering of School of Engineering on the College of Hong Kong (HKU), have achieved a milestone in aerial manipulation expertise. Their modern Aerial Elephant Trunk (AET), a novel aerial continuum manipulator, has demonstrated unparalleled functionality in performing complicated aerial manipulation duties, marking a major leap ahead for the event of the low-altitude financial system.

Professor Lu and his lab members have lengthy centered on advancing aerial continuum manipulators to reinforce the efficiency of aerial manipulation. Typical aerial manipulators face inherent limitations in balancing the payload capability of UAVs with the dexterity of robotic arms.

The analysis workforce’s AET, impressed by the flexibleness of an elephant trunk, successfully addresses these challenges. The analysis is revealed within the journal Nature Communications.

“By designing a extremely compact aerial continuum arm, we will carry out numerous aerial manipulation duties in complicated environments. AET is extraordinarily dexterous in comparison with current aerial manipulators, as its physique can develop into any form. It may well grasp objects of varied configurations and dimensions utilizing its physique, a functionality that’s nearly inconceivable for typical aerial manipulators, which might solely grasp objects utilizing grippers,” stated Professor Lu.

AET excels in cluttered and constrained environments, navigating by way of pipelines of varied shapes and overcoming obstacles the place conventional aerial manipulators wrestle. With its functionality to understand a variety of objects and function in various environments, AET considerably expands the applying for aerial manipulation.

It’s able to finishing up greedy, transporting, and upkeep duties in difficult aerial environments, akin to clearing particles at catastrophe websites, eradicating particles from high-voltage energy traces, and sustaining cross-sea bridges. The developments within the design and management of AET will set up a stable basis for dexterous aerial manipulation, ushering in new industries and modes for the event of the low-altitude financial system.