A biologically-inspired micro sensor platform capable of aerial and terrestrial locomotion

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and field testing of a small (30.5 cm wingspan) robot capable of aerial and terrestrial locomotion. The micro air-land vehicle (MALV) flies using a chord-wise, undercambered, bat-like compliant wing and walks over rough terrain using passively compliant wheel-leg running gear. MALV successfully performs transitions from flight to walking and in some situations, from walking to flight. The lightweight (100 g) carbon fiber vehicle can fly, land, and crawl with a sensor payload exceeding 20% its own mass.