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TechEngage » Robotics

These incredible little bots can lift 40 times more than their own weight

Avatar for Areen Zahra Areen Zahra Follow Areen Zahra on Twitter October 27, 2018

Drone
Image Courtesy: Popular Mechanics
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Well if you thought that drones were never capable of lifting weight then think again, maybe?
Developed by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and Stanford University, these drones are setting up new examples.
These amazing drones are named FlyCro Tugs and are made up of micro spines, grippers, winches and other adhesives that allow them to lift a weight that is 40 times more in mass. These astonishing bots weigh just a few ounces. The drone’s picking up functionality is somewhat inspired from the Toes of geckos.
These drones have grippers that aid in picking up objects. These grippers use intermolecular forces to grip things tightly. Their best feature is that they are customizable. They can have small wheels attached if you want. If you still have something that cannot be handled by grippers then the additional winches can do the job. These winches are metallic hook-like pointed spines that can lift anything that is 40 times the weight of these drones.
These drones have taken things to a next level and are thought to be very useful when it comes to the rescue services. They can carry cameras and other objects all by themselves. These drones alone can carry small weights, but if you put them to a job together, they are capable of lifting bigger or heavier things.
The researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and Stanford University, tried to open up a door using more than one of these bots are were successful! However, this idea is still under consideration with researchers where they can devise programs to function multiple drones simultaneously.
With these weight lifting drones coming into action we are excited about how things are going to change. Are you? Let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: Robotics Tagged With: Drones, news

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Avatar for Areen Zahra

Areen Zahra

Auto & AI Reporter

Areen Zahra is an Auto and AI Reporter at TechEngage, writing about automotive technology, mobile apps, artificial intelligence, and transportation innovation across more than 130 articles. An IT professional by training, Areen is drawn to the intersection of mobility and machine intelligence, where she tracks how algorithms are reshaping the way we move and live.

Joined November 2018

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