Meet Gimball, the Crash-Happy Flying Robot that Collides with Trees

Meet Gimball, the crash-happy flying robot that's allowing researchers to learn a little bit more about how to design machines that can withstand impact. Careening into tree trunks as it flies through the forest, Gimball can still stay on course despite numerous collisions.

Most robots navigate using a complex network of sensors. This allows them to avoid obstacles by reconstructing the environment around them. Yet there are drawbacks to this method; the sensors are heavy and fragile and can't operate in certain conditions.

So what do you do if you can't avoid collisions? You adapt and encourage them. Powered by twin propellers and steered by fins, Gimball can keep on track even after numerous shocks. It's protected by a spherical, elastic cage which allows it to rebound from collisions. In addition, it has a gyroscopic stabilization system that allows it to keep its balance.

"The idea was for the robot's body to stay balanced after a collision, so that it can keep to its trajectory," said Adrien Briod, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Its predecessors, which weren't stabilized, tended to take off in random directions after impact."

Yet Gimball can handle these impacts with ease. Its robustness actually lies in its technological simplicity. In addition, the flying robot is prepared to tackle some of the most tough terrain out there.

"Our objective was exactly that--to be able to operate where other robots can't go, such as a building that has collapsed in an earthquake," said Briod in a news release. "The on-board camera can provide valuable information to emergency personnel."

In fact, the researchers tested the robot in a Swiss pine forest. Outfitted with just a compass and an altitude sensor, Gimball was able to maintain its course while crashing into trees. The fact that this robot does indeed work could be huge for the future of flying, colliding robots.

The new robot will be presented in public at the IREX conference in Tokyo, Japan in early November.