Not for saleUniversity research robot, first described in 2020 papers and supported by an NSF CAREER award.
Not for sale (research)Not programmableRobotic batMorphing wingsResearch
Not for saleShipping: Not for sale. Not available. A university research project.
Remote control: Not possible. A university research platform.
Overview
Aerobat is Alireza Ramezani's follow-on to the Bat Bot (B2), built to study how bats reshape their wings within every wingbeat. Instead of many motors it uses a single actuator and a compact linkage called the Kinetic Sculpture to fold and extend each armwing, keeping the robot light enough to carry a small computer and camera. Early outdoor tests flew untethered with small stabilizer thrusters, and the lab also built a protective quadcopter-stabilized guard for safe testing. Northeastern pitches it for exploring pipes, tunnels, mines and HVAC ducts.
Specifications
| Category | Flapping-wing fliers · Flapping-wing robots |
|---|---|
| Released | 2020 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Not for sale (research) |
| Programmability | No programmability |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera |
| Actuators | Brushless / direct-drive motors |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Raspberry Pi |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | About 40 g with battery and basic microcontroller, 30 cm wingspan, about 40 g payload capacity |
| Locomotion | Tail-less flapping wings driven by one brushless motor through the Kinetic Sculpture linkage, which splits each wing into proximal and distal sections (shoulder and elbow) so the wings expand on the downstroke and fold on the upstroke. Flaps at up to 8 Hz |
| Compute | Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W in the 2023 onboard perception build, earlier tests used small Arduino-class boards |
| Camera | Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 for visual-inertial odometry (research build) |
| Sensors | WT901 9-axis IMU. Lab tests add motion capture and a load cell in Northeastern's test arena |
| Runtime | Not published |
| Speed | Short untethered flights of 5–10 m reported in 2023, hovering in confined spaces is the stated goal |
| SDK | None |
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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