撞不坏的无人机

Scientists have created an insect-inspired drone with wings that folds like origami* when it collides with obstacles mid-flight.

The new drone is so flexible that it can absorb shocks without breaking before springing back to its initial shape. Engineers say the revolutionary design was inspired by insect wings and the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, making it both stiff and flexible.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) developed the new hybrid origami drone.

They stretched an elastomer membrane* between rigid plates. When there is no external force applied to the system, it will hold together and give the structure its stiffness. But when enough force is applied, the plates draw apart and the structure can bend.

Project lead Stefano Mintchev from EPFL said structures that are stiff and flexible at the same time have a range of other potential applications, adding that he has previously used the same technology to create a soft-touch gripper.

The gripper softens once it reaches a certain level of pressure so as not to break the object it is picking up. This also means it cannot pick up a load that exceeds its capacity.(SD-Agencies)