The U.S. military recently tested a hovering UAS ability to attach its claw at the end of a 6 foot arm, to a target object.
The “V-Bat” is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS that can fly like a robotic aircraft and hover in place while standing upright on its tail, according to its makers at the MLB Company. The U.S.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded work to make a “vision system” for V-Bat that allowed the hovering robot to attach its 1-pound claw to a ladder.
“Our goal with the unmanned aircraft payload emplacement demonstration was to show we could quickly develop and integrate the right technology to make this work,” said Dan Patt, DARPA programme manager. “The success of the demonstration further enables the capabilities of future autonomous aircraft.”
Source: Live Science