Insect-Inspried GimBall Robot can Handle Impacts

Oct-31-13 The GimBall flying robot sphere was designed to crash into objects without damaging itself, bouncing off of them and continuing on its way.

The GimBall quadcopter is encased in a round, flexible cage that protects it from impacts. A double-carbon ring within the cage rotates in the event of a collision, keeping the robot’s gyroscopically-stabilized body properly oriented and allowing it to recover quickly from impacts. The Gimball has applications in search-and-rescue missions, and is equipped with a camera that could relay information back to emergency responders.

The carbon-ring stabilizing system was inspired by insects, which are able to bounce off of obstacles and continue on their journey without much apparent difficulty.

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