Insect-Inspired Flying Robot Handles Collisions And Keeps Going

Sabine Hauert writes "GimBall is a new flying robot that can collide with objects seamlessly. Generally, flying robots are programmed to avoid obstacles, which is far from easy in cluttered environments. Instead, researchers from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL believe that flying robots should be able to physically interact with their surroundings. Take insects: they often collide with obstacles and continue flying afterwards. Their robot uses a passively rotating spherical cage to remain stable even after taking hits from all sides. This approach enables GimBall to fly in the most difficult places without complex sensors."

Insect like?

[Doug Otto]

When I read "insect like robot" I don't expect it to be the size of a basketball. Thankfully, insects aren't that big where I live.

Re:Insect like?

[decipher_saint]

Yeah, I feel a bit swindled

"Flying Death Sphere" would have gotten me to click just as well

Re:

[Mr D from 63]

Who cares. All flying shit is cool!

Re:

[decipher_saint]

I don't know, the monkey-propelled variety is kind of warm...

Re:

[Mr D from 63]

I stand corrected.

"whifflebug" also a suitable name

[Thud457]

HOLY SHIT! [lis.epfl.ch] Exactly how hard are these things bouncing off of stuff? They could just as well go through the walls!

Re:

[Nidi62]

Looks kind of like a prototype version of the target Luke Skywalker used to practice with his lightsaber in Episode IV. Just stick some lasers on it.

Re: Insect like?

[pollarda]

The final version will probably be about the size of a Quidditch.

Re:

[gstoddart]

The final version will probably be about the size of a Quidditch.

Pitch? Player? Fan? Broom? Arena? Quaffle? Bludger? Snitch?

Re:

[magic maverick]

Mod parent down, has obviously read too many bad books.

Re:

[Wycliffe]

When I read "insect like robot" I don't expect it to be the size of a basketball. Thankfully, insects aren't that big where I live.

Relative size isn't as important to be insect-like. Aliens from movies like Stormship Troopers are definitely insect-like but I
don't consider a robot encased in a round cage to avoid damage as anywhere close to "avoid damage like an insect".
I've never seen an insect with a protective round cage. I'm pretty sure they have other ways of minimizing damage.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

I've never seen an insect with a protective round cage.

Armadillidiidae [wikipedia.org], just saying.

Re:

[dpilot]

So do you call them "pillbugs" or "rolly polies"?

Re:

[SleazyRidr]

They're slaters.

Re:

[Wycliffe]

I've never seen an insect with a protective round cage.

Armadillidiidae [wikipedia.org], just saying.

Yes, they have a shell but they don't fly and they don't move while a ball and more to the point
are nothing like the robot in a cage that this article references. The robot in this article is more
akin to a bumper car than any insect I've ever seen.

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

What exactly do you think an exoskeleton is?

Beat To Market By a Toy Company

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey researchers, a toy company beat you to market [amazon.com].

Re:Beat To Market By a Toy Company

[fldsofglry]

err...not quite: http://youtu.be/yy63Cn7WVbU?t=31s [youtu.be]

Re:

[Dr_Terminus]

Or even better, one from 2011 which can fly and roll on the ground http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF0uLnMoQZA [youtube.com]

Re:

[Hentes]

The advancement is not the cage but that it can rotate freely. That's what allows the robot to continue flying after a collision.

Re:

[pahles]

Does your 30 dollar RC helicopter fly autonomously in a given direction, while bouncing against trees in a forrest?

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

I saw nothing in the videos leading me to believe these weren't rc controlled. You can even see a the small orange 4 channel receiver on the supposed bot.

Why does an autonomous robot need a 4 channel receiver, unless it's being flown by a pilot?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

About one minute into the video: "we just gave it a magnetic direction and without any obstacle avoiding technique it was capable of flying several hundreds of meters while encountering several collisions".

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

I've got a few rc planes, that once in the air I can turn the transmitter off and they are capable of flying several miles without input, barring collisions of course.

Re:

[Hizonner]

You mean other than the part where the guy directly says that it's flying autonomously with nothing but a compass direction?

Maybe it needs a radio because they sometimes fly it remotely?

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

No sound I couldn't hear that.

I stand corrected.

Re:

[Kenoli]

The 30 dollar RC helicopters at Wal*Mart already have a plastic cage around them so they hit walls and such without snapping the rotors off.
This doesn't seem all that different to me, aside from an outer cage on bearings. So what's the big deal?

A fixed cage can protect from damage, but does little to prevent crashes, since collisions will still affect the orientation of the rotor.

I saw nothing in the videos leading me to believe these weren't rc controlled. You can even see a the small orange 4 channel receiver on the supposed bot.
Why does an autonomous robot need a 4 channel receiver, unless it's being flown by a pilot?

How they're controlled isn't relevant. The point is that collisions don't interrupt their flight.

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

98% of obstacles yes, but there are still obstacles that will bring it down regardless.

A nice pointy stick from that forest would, like the gnarled trunk they dodged.

Anything small enough to penetrate the sphere and break the prop will bring it down.

Any more....

[sjwt]

Could this be anymore misleading.. Can maybe editors use an ounce of brain power before approving these?
Or as I sadly expect the case to be, at lest force advertisers to not make such crapy posts.

Maybe it should be titled "Forcefield protects Super AI Military bot, buy one yourself"

Re:

[Laxori666]

I don't know what people are getting upset about. It does resemble an insect in the way it flies. You never seen a fly repeatedly bash itself into a glass pane?

Re:Any more....

[timeOday]

Jesus you whiny babies! This thing is cool, it does something new. Quit nitpicking whatever analogies somebody decided to apply to it (insects) or whatever preconceptions you're bringing for no reason at all (autonomy, slashvertisements). Either post a video of a different aircraft pushing its way through ferns and a maze of ceiling joists, or quit bitching... what it does is really neat!

Re:

[shipofgold]

Looks just like an insect in the way it flies....could it be miniaturized? Most likely...

The innovation is that it can get from point A to point B autonomously in an environment that most other flying objects can't. Using this tech I don't think it would be difficult to let this thing loose at Wall street with instructions to get to the Empire State Building.

Pretty cool indeed. The weak minds are the ones that don't get it....

The news here

[tech.kyle]

I believe the news here is that it doesn't veer off in funny, hard to predict directions when it bumps in to something. Yes, toy companies have cages around their flying RC offerings, but having that fling thing be able to maintain stability is new. Check the video at ~48 seconds in.

Space Sample Collection?

[Tablizer]

Maybe this can be combined with other NASA collision technology for a fast-paced sample return mission [slashdot.org].

bap. bap. bap. bap. bap.

[Thud457]

That's pretty big. It's going to be pretty annoying repeatedly bouncing off your daughter's window.

Incorrect

[g0bshiTe]

From all the videos they've posted all their devices are operated by a remote and pilot, this would make them little more than RC aircraft, nothing they've posted shows anything autonomous flight.

Big difference between an rc and an autonomous robot.

Re:

[Plazmid]

Except the part in the video where they have it go in a constant direction in a forest using on board magnetometers.

Re:

[g0bshiTe]

I've seen people do this with quads, what's the difference?

RC's these days can be outfitted with auto pilots.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__37328__HKPilot_Mega_V2_5_Flight_Controller_USB_GYRO_ACC_MAG_BARO.html [hobbyking.com]

Still I see this as being little more than an RC with a crash frame.

Correction

[jovius]

Drunkard-Inspired Flying Robot Handles Collisions And Keeps Going

Seamlessly?

[wonkey_monkey]

GimBall is a new flying robot that can collide with objects seamlessly.

I do not think that means what you think it means.

stuck on stick

[jklovanc]

That method works great for obstacles that can not pass through the holes in the cage. What happens if the robot flies onto a stick end on? It will pass through the hole and may damage the inner workings. Sure the holes can be made smaller but then that increases weight and interferes with air flow.

This is a great assassination tool!

[Simonetta]

This is a great assassination tool! Make it strong enough to carry a small anti-personnel bomb. Say for example a wad of C4 explosive about the size of a walnut surrounded by B-Bs or small ball bearings. Use the camera to get it close to your target. Use the novelty value of the device as a way to allow it to get close to the person who needs killing. Then when within range, BOOM! using a radio controlled detonator.

Think: " Black Sunday " (a 1976 film with Bruce Dern and Marthe Keller ab

I for one...

[zingfodd]

...welcome our new benevolent bouncy flying rulers.

Manhacks?

[Nawid Karim]

Add a saw-blade and a bright red light, and this thing could pass as one.

Insect inspired??

[AC-x]

I was expecting some kind of ornithopter with flexible wings, how is this insect inspired? I don't remember any insects that fly around encased in a rotating sphere...

Nice post

[ajahar mohd]

Thanks for this useful post