Cat-Inspired Claws Enable Ice Dart Drone to Land on Steep Ice Surfaces
Université de Sherbrooke Researchers Develop Innovative Drone Landing System
Researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada have created a new multirotor drone, named Ice Dart, designed specifically for landing on steep and slippery ice surfaces. This development draws inspiration from the retractable claws of cats, which helped the team address the challenges associated with landing drones on difficult terrains.
Details of the Ice Dart System
The Ice Dart is engineered to land and remain stable on steep ice surfaces. The research team, consisting of Isaac Tunney, John Bass, and Alexis Lussier Desbiens, published their findings in the journal IEEE Transactions on Field Robotics. The paper is titled The Ice Dart: Landing on Steep Ice Using Spiny Feet, Dissipative Landing Gear and Reverse Thrust.
The team conducted tests on natural icebergs and glaciers in Iceland, successfully landing the drone on slopes of up to 58 degrees and in winds exceeding 30 km/h. Controlled testing indicated that the drone could handle ice slopes of up to 60 degrees and touchdown speeds of up to 3 meters per second.
Technological Innovations
To achieve successful landings on steep ice, the Ice Dart incorporates three key technologies:
- Retractable Spines: Inspired by cat claws, these spines deploy during landing to grip the ice.
- Friction-Based Landing Gear: This feature dissipates energy upon impact, enhancing stability.
- Reverse Thrust: Employed at touchdown, this mechanism aids in stabilizing the landing.
These combined technologies significantly broaden the range of conditions under which a multirotor can safely land.
Applications and Future Potential
The ability to land on ice opens up new possibilities for small drones in various sensing missions. Unlike hovering, which requires continuous power, landing allows the drone to conserve energy while remaining stationary. This capability could enable the drone to function as a temporary sensing station on icebergs or other natural surfaces.
Potential applications identified by the researchers include:
- Iceberg tracking
- Maritime safety
- Environmental research
- Arctic surveillance and domain awareness
The trials conducted in Iceland demonstrated the drone’s effectiveness in real-world conditions, including on irregular ice surfaces and in windy environments.
Broader Research Context
The Ice Dart project builds on previous research by the same team, which has explored landing techniques for multirotors on steep surfaces and high-speed moving vehicles. Their earlier work also utilized friction shock absorbers and reverse thrust to enhance landing capabilities.
With the introduction of Ice Dart, the researchers have successfully expanded the range of environments where multirotor drones can operate, adding glaciers and icebergs to their list of landing sites.
Research Reference: The Ice Dart: Landing on Steep Ice Using Spiny Feet, Dissipative Landing Gear and Reverse Thrust, Isaac Tunney, John Bass, and Alexis Lussier Desbiens, IEEE Transactions on Field Robotics.