The Laboratory Of Intelligent Systems Shows Off RAVEN Flight Capabilities

To improve drone flights, the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) has developed RAVEN, a flight robot that imitates a bird naturally found in the wild. This project aims to help fly drones using this technology to autonomously take flight in environments where traditional drones find it difficult to navigate.

RAVEN Aims To Imitate Flight Pattern Of An Actual Raven Bird

The Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) in the EPFL’s School of Engineering is headed by Dario Floreano and is in charge of developing this new drone. Together with his team, Dario Floreano has successfully debuted RAVEN also known as (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for Multiple Environments).

This new drone technology imitates the flight pattern of ravens and crows naturally found in the wild. Due to this biomimetic trait, the new drone known as RAVEN can easily navigate between air and land without any difficulties.

Won Dong Shin, a PhD student working with the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) points out that while “Birds were the inspiration for aeroplanes………today’s planes are still quite far from what birds are capable of.” He goes on to identify a specific ability in birds that planes lack, the ability to transition from “walking to running to the air and back again, without the aid of a runway or launcher.”

The RAVEN project aims to fix this downside of aeroplanes today by “maximizing gait diversity while minimizing mass.” In order to do this, Dario’s team comprising Won Dong Shin had to design a set of multifunctional legs for RAVEN.

The leg design comprises powerful springs and motors to mimic the legs of a crow or a raven, it also helps keep heavier parts of the drone close to its body. Speaking on the leg designs, Dario Floreano says that working around various problems that the leg design led his team “to not only come up with the most multimodal winged drone to date but also to shed light on the energetic efficiency of jumping for take-off in both birds and drones.”

Possible Usage Of RAVEN

While this project by the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) is impressive, one might wonder where such drones can be put in use. Some might wonder what industries will have use for a drone robot that can jump up to 26cm high, walk, and fly.

The folks at EPFL’s Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) have given details on how RAVEN can help certain industries. Dario Floreano states that the results from RAVEN’s test flights “represent just a first step towards a better understanding of design and control principles of multi-modal flying animals, and their translation into agile and energetically efficient drones.”

As a result of its autonomous build and design, RAVEN can navigate rough terrains without any human intervention. Industries with roles in inspection, disaster mitigation, and delivery might be able to put RAVEN to use in accessing difficult areas during their jobs.