Aerial Locomotion

Aerial locomotion research focuses on developing robots capable of seamlessly transitioning between walking and flying, mimicking the versatility of animals like birds. Current efforts concentrate on developing robust control algorithms, often employing reinforcement learning and whole-body trajectory optimization, to manage the complex dynamics of these multimodal robots, with various architectures including quadrupedal and humanoid designs incorporating distributed rotors or bio-inspired flapping wings. This research advances robotics by creating more adaptable and efficient robots for applications such as search and rescue, surveillance, and exploration in diverse and challenging environments.