Tipsy

Multimodal Robotic traversal of remote and rugged environments

Rescuers often rely on robots to survey disaster- stricken areas for victims. However, it is challenging for robots to traverse the variable and precarious terrain of collapsed urban structures. Elevated areas are inaccessible to terrestrial robots while flying in confined spaces is difficult. Tipsy the multimodal robot leverages flying and driving to present a versatile, cost- effective, and power-efficient robotic surveillance method for search-and-rescue missions. Tipsy is a remote-controlled quad- copter with powered wheels that can fly, as well as reverse its thrust to have traction control while driving. Tipsy uses modified Ardupilot firmware to control both modes of locomotion. In flight, Tipsy consumes about 100 W for stable hovering but only consumes about 10 W when driving on a 10-degree incline. A similar result is seen at an incline of 30 degrees.