Shape-shifting drone eyed for inspection tasks
Marie Donlon | May 16, 2023A spinoff company of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) dubbed Elythor has developed a new inspection drone that can adapt to changing wind conditions and flight positions in real-time, thereby reducing its energy consumption.
The Morpho drone can also position its wings to fly either vertically or horizontally and is being eyed for the inspection of power lines, wind turbines and offshore oil and gas platforms, as it can approach and land on such structures with relative ease.
Source: EPFL
Morpho is a combined winged drone and quadcopter that can change shape according to the task to be carried out. Morpho’s adaptive wings reportedly extend the drone’s flight times. Further, the addition of features such as embedded sensors and cameras enable Morpho to fly as well in enclosed spaces as in the open air, according to its developers.
"Winged drones have the advantage of longer flight times, while quadcopters have better maneuverability," explained the drone’s developers. "We combined the two and added an adaptative wing system that reduces the drone's power requirement even further."
Additionally, Morpho can quickly shape-shift — from a position seated on its four legs to shifting its motors and rotating into a horizontal position — and fly from inspection site to inspection site.
As the drone encounters wind changes it can expand or contract its wings and can also reportedly glide under appropriate wind conditions, thereby saving inspection times and extending flight times.
For more on Morpho, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of EPFL.
The drone is detailed in the article, “Wind Defiant Morphing Drones,” which appears in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems.