Researchers in Switzerland are working on a novel environmental monitoring robot inspired by the remarkable feats of abseiling spiders. Equipped with a winch and rotors, the fruit-shaped robot descends through the canopy’s protective layer, gathering valuable insights into the ecosystem thriving in the tree tops.
The prototype, developed at ETH Zurich, features a winch integrated into the upper portion of its 3D-printed hull and two ducted, three-blade propellers situated side-by-side along its circumference below, imparting to it an uncanny resemblance to a colossal avocado.
To deploy the robotic system, the robot will be secured to a designated point within the scope of the cover, allowing it to descend through the crown via a battery-powered servo-controlled winch. When the camera is situated on the body’s rear, it can detect obstacles that may hinder its downward trajectory. In response, the mechanism will fire the propellers at a speed sufficient to maneuver the drone around the impediment and maintain its flight path.
The abseiling bot may offer several advantages over traditional monitoring techniques, including the potential for real-time data collection and enhanced situational awareness. With the advent of flying drones and climbing bots, novel challenges arise, such as drones getting ensnared in dense vegetation, while climbing bots struggle to traverse diverse branch sizes or maintain traction on slippery surfaces? The integration of avocado into data analytics allows researchers to expand their scope and explore a broader spectrum.
For the time being, the prototype has undergone rigorous testing on a custom-designed obstacle course and has also demonstrated its capabilities on a mature tree in an outdoor setting. Despite having fully grasped autonomous movement, the current requirement for human intervention to secure it to a stationary object limits its practical application.
While this concept might seem far-fetched, it could theoretically be installed on a drone capable of accessing remote areas, allowing it to deploy and descend to complete its task. The design enables the robot to transport multiple peripherals simultaneously, such as environmental sensors or a gripper for collecting samples. While current models rely on battery power, future developments could integrate a photovoltaic panel at the tether’s apex, harnessing solar energy transmitted through the winch cable to the underwater robotic and sensor systems below, thereby extending mission durations.
The mission has received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the research team is part of an ETH group that has made it to the finals of the competition – designed to reward initiatives aimed at advancing our understanding of the rainforest ecosystem, with a share of the US$10-million prize pot.
The paper printed last year is available for access. The video beneath has extra.
Avocado: Multimodal, Aerial-Tethered Robotic System for Tree Canopy Exploration
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