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Presentation
A Perching Landing Gear for a Quadcopter
The Proceedings of the AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference (2012)
  • Elsa Culler
  • Gray Thomas
  • Christopher Lee
Abstract

The design, fabrication, and testing of two prototypes of a landing gear mechanism that would allow a quadcopter to grasp and perch upon a branch-like structure are presented. The prototypes are based upon a snapping-claw mechanism that is triggered on the impact of landing. A complaint claw, fabricated using shape deposition manufacturing techniques, can conform to various shapes and contours of perching structures. Results from flight tests with a commercial off-the-shelf quadcopter and zip line tests are presented which demonstrate the performance of the mechanism.

Keywords
  • quadcopter,
  • landing,
  • perch
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 23, 2012
Comments

© 2012 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This article was published in The Proceedings of the AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference, and can be found here.

Citation Information
Elsa Culler, Gray Thomas and Christopher Lee. "A Perching Landing Gear for a Quadcopter" The Proceedings of the AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher_lee/41/