DelFly, very small autonomous flapping wing MAV, Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands

The DelFly Explorer is the first flapping wing Micro Air Vehicle that is able to fly with complete autonomy in unknown environments. Weighing just 20 grams, it is equipped with a 4-gram onboard stereo vision system.

The DelFly Explorer can perform an autonomous take-off, keep its height, and avoid obstacles for as long as its battery lasts (~9 minutes). All sensing and processing is performed on board, so no human or offboard computer is in the loop.

"Autonomous Flight of a 20-gram Flapping Wing MAV with a 4-gram Onboard Stereo Vision System", by C. De Wagter, S. Tijmons, B.D.W. Remes, and G.C.H.E. de Croon, (submitted).

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We had some high speed camera video of the DelFly we wanted to share with the world.

I love how the structure in the backgroud and the DelFly wings are flexing in the background.

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Researchers developed a programmable and agile autonomous free-flying robot controlled through bio-inspired motion changes of its flapping wings. The robot can rapidly accelerate from hover to fast forward flight, make a 360° roll flip maneuver, make a 360° pitch flip maneuver and a fly inspired rapid banked turn.

Credit:
A tailless aerial robotic flapper reveals that flies use torque coupling in rapid banked turns
Matěj Karásek, Florian T. Muijres, Christophe De Wagter, Bart D. W. Remes, Guido C. H. E. de Croon
Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aat0350

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