This innovation comes from the faculty of the Institute for
Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH Zurich. They are teaching
‘Distributed computation algorithms’ which is a pretty dry discipline.
The faculty came up with a better way of teaching the subject rather
than using the sets and lengthy exam which is indeed the conventional
method. They encouraged students into developing robots which would work
on these principles. The result of this unique approach is Distributed
Flight Array (DFA). This DFA is a transformer, prototype of course,
which allows a number of self-directed robots to assemble with one
another into a bigger robot and take flight while providing a platform
for experimentation.
The ultimate goal would be to remove even the
tiniest bit of human touch in this robotic platform.
These DFA bots have a 3D printed chassis and there’s more to them than
what meets the eye. They are small yet packed full of surprises. The
whole system has been designed with a propeller which enjoys the central
position. This propeller provides the system with the thrust for the
take off. Three omni-directional wheels surround the propeller which
allows the DFA bots to get into position while they are on the ground.
Then we have magnets that have been embedded into the frame for the sake
of connection. Moving on, there is a gyroscope which helps provide the
information related to position to the microprocessor which is mounted
onboard. The last but crucial piece is the infrared sensor which works
in real-time to help them maintain their individual thrusts in order to
keep the combined unit stable. Quite a sensitive package, yet at the end
of a flight, these robots disengage from one another in mid-air and
fall safely on the ground. The bots alone can only move around spastically in the room but join
them together and you have a traditional quad-copter which is more
advanced. They can simulate typical and asymmetrical arrays which
basically defy the conventional aeronautics aesthetics! These
combinations, although odd, sometime produce quite fascinating flight
patterns which are interesting to watch.
