Could
“Disposable Folded Cellulose-Substrate Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” – known
to some as paper aeroplanes – be used as disposable, biodegradable
monitoring-and-surveillance drones?
A
report presented at the Australasian Conference on Robotics and
Automation, 3-5 Dec 2012, suggests
just that.
“Disposable folded cellulose-substrate micro-Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs) (paper planes) have the surprising potential to be effective
platforms for deploying remote sensors at low-cost.“
A
proof-of-concept “aerogami” prototype was constructed using University of
Queensland A4 notepaper [pictured
above]. If taken into
production, the idea would be to deploy the DLCFCSUAVs in large numbers from
aircraft or balloons – but in this case the prototypes were tested by launching
them across the lab with an elastic catapult. Reaching glide distances of up to
5 metres (unladen) and 4 metres (laden).
In
conclusion :
“A simple disposable MAV platform has been developed, based on
the venerable paper plane design. The aircraft was capable of stable gliding
flight, and is equipped with small onboard voice-coil actuators and onboard
6-DOF inertial measurement for motion control. The proof-of-concept system
demonstrated stable gliding flight, and it was shown that the addition of
avionic control systems did not compromise gliding performance. Ongoing work
aims to regulate aircraft velocity under feedback control, and eventually allow
aircraft released at high-altitude to navigate long distances autonomously,
with no further input of energy.”
BONUS: The paper provides a free cut-out-and-keep
template for you to construct a fully working prototype. [page 9] [battery and electronics not included]
NOTE: Deployment of disposable folded
cellulose-substrate micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (paper planes) is a
tradition at the Ig Nobel Prize
Ceremonies.
- See
more at: http://www.improbable.com/#sthash.wivvasgw.dpuf