Category Archives: Research

Crash-Perching on Vertical Poles with a Hugging-Wing Robot

Perching with winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has often been solved by means of complex control or intricate appendages.  Mohammad Askari, Michele Benciolini, Hoang-Vu Phan, William Stewart & Dario Floreano, researchers at the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, present a method that relies on passive wing morphing for crash-landing on trees and other types of vertical poles: Continue reading

A Novel Drone Design Based on a Reconfigurable UAV for Wildfire Management

Wild land fires pose significant challenges to both ecosystems and human safety, necessitating innovative approaches for effective management and mitigation. Unmanned aerial vehicles have emerged as invaluable tools in addressing various aspects of wildfire and prescribed fire science. Research funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program offers a comprehensive exploration of the design and modelling of a versatile, reconfigurable multi-rotor UAV. Continue reading

Piasecki Aircraft Gets US Department of Energy Award for Hydrogen-Powered Urban Air Mobility Feasibility Study

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate the feasibility of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Urban Air Mobility (UAM) rotorcraft. The study is focused on the feasibility of using hydrogen fuel cells as a power source for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAM vehicles, which are expected to play a significant role in the future of urban transportation. Continue reading