A biologically inspired micro-vehicle capable of aerial and terrestrial locomotion

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and field testing of a small (30.5 cm wingspan) robot capable of aerial and terrestrial locomotion. The micro air-land vehicle (MALV) flies using a chord-wise, undercambered, bat-like compliant wing and walks over rough terrain using passively compliant wheel-leg running gear. MALV successfully performs transitions from flight to walking and in some situations, from walking to flight. The lightweight (∼100 g) carbon fiber vehicle can fly, land, and crawl with a sensor payload exceeding 20% its own mass.

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