Illinois robotics lab's HyTAQ moves in air, rolls on land (w/ video)
Friday, November 30, 2012 - 07:10
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org)—Quadrotors that can not only successfully fly in the air but can also roll along on the ground represent the kind of exercise that moves researchers at the Robotics Lab at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), which is part of the Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering Department. Engineers there have developed a vehicle that indeed can move on land and air. The IIT 's research is centered on robotics, working toward a better understanding of how mobile systems may perform in challenging environments, including terrain interactions. Their HyTAQ (Hybrid Terrestrial and Aerial Quadrotor) has four rotors for flying but is also surrounded by a cylindrical cage constructed from polycarbonate and carbon fiber.