We are all accustomed to the appearance of unmanned drones. They may vary the position of the blades and other elements, but the overall look will remain the same. Of special note is the new development of Japanese scientists from Tokyo University. Their drone, dubbed DRAGON, can easily change their shape.
Based on the design of the “dragon” is somewhat independent modules. They are connected via swivel nodes with the electric motors. However, in the “tail” modules are special shock mechanisms that change the direction of motion. The drone is able to stretch, shrink, to “put aside” some of its elements, and perform various acrobatic stunts while in flight. The drone can squeeze through tiny openings to capture the load with the frames, which can be transformed.
Initially, the drone has a traditional copter form, but if necessary change it into a zigzag, or drawn out in length. Now the copter a few of the modules, although the developers plan to increase their number to 12 pieces. This will allow the robot to become more agile and take on even more bizarre forms. There is not much good news: the battery life of the prototype is only 3 minutes, but the developers want to increase this figure in future models.
DRAGON: the first drone that can change its shape
Vladimir Kuznetsov