Our Bionic Learning Network has been investigating flight and gripping for a long time. We have now brought together both areas for the first time with the FreeMotionHandling. The indoor flying object can manoeuvre autonomously in any direction, independently picking up and dropping off items where they are required.
The FreeMotionHandling system consists of an ultralight carbon ring with eight adaptive propellers. In the middle of the ring sits a rotatable helium ball with an integrated gripping element. Unlike other indoor flying objects, contact is not dangerous even in the event of a collision. This means that humans and the sphere can interact with each other safely at any time, without any problems.
This opens up new prospects for the workspace of the future. The free-moving sphere could act as a flying assistance system for people – for example, when working overhead, working at dizzying heights or as a feeder system in spaces that are difficult to access.
Our engineers made particular use of two existing developments from the Bionic Learning Network: The gripping mechanism of the FreeMotionHandling is modeled on the universally applicable FlexShapeGripper , the working principle of which is derived from the tongue of a chameleon. Its elastic gripper can wrap itself around an item with a flexible and form-fitting grip and can even collect more than one object in a single process.
The flying helium sphere itself is a further development of the eMotionSpheres . For its drive concept, we designed our first ever adaptive propellers, which can provide the same thrust in both directions of rotation thanks to their flexible membrane. The design of the propellers is based on the experience gained with the BionicOpter . The developers took the wing principle of the artificial dragonfly a step further and transferred it to the drives, which are now used on the FreeMotionHandling as well.
No pilot is required to control the flying object. From the outside, the sphere is coordinated by an indoor GPS which is already used in the eMotionSpheres and the eMotionButterflies and has proven itself. The handling system also features two on-board cameras that enable it to monitor its surroundings and react to its environment during the gripping process. When the sphere approaches the object to be gripped, it uses the two cameras to plan its own path.