Researchers Develop 3D-Printed Self-Assembling Multi-Copter

A research team in Zurich has developed the Distributed Flight Array, a series of 3D-printed drones capable of self-assembly by detecting each others' positions and join together to create a larger flying machine.

The Distributed Flight Array (DFA) has been developed by a team of researchers at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC) at ETH Zürich university in Switzerland.

Each robot has a 3D-printed hexagonal plastic chassis with magnets fixed to the sides of the frame and a single propeller fitted in the middle.

Each robot has a 3D-printed hexagonal plastic chassis with magnets fixed to the sides of the frame and a single propeller fitted in the middle

The flying honeycomb-shaped helicopter bots fly in extremely irregular patterns on their own, but they are able to detect the presence of similar drones nearby and connect to form a larger unit using magnets. As a whole, the conjoined units are much more controlled, and function as a highly intelligent system.

The flying honeycomb-shaped helicopter bots are able to detect the presence of similar drones nearby and connect to form a larger unit using magnets

Individually, each modular unit relays informationwith the others and uses sensors to determine how much force will be required during flight.

"The Distributed Flight Array is a flying platform consisting of multiple autonomous single propeller vehicles that are able to drive, dock with their peers and fly in a coordinated fashion," explains the IDSC. "Once in flight the array hovers for a few minutes, then falls back to the ground, only to repeat the cycle again."

"If the array's levelled flight is disturbed, each vehicle individually determines the amount of thrust required to correct for the disturbance based on its position in the array and the array's motion," IDSC said.

This project could have huge implications for the future of transportation

"The platform currently flies with either joystick input from an user or input from an external sensor system such as GPS. We are trying to close this gap and make the system completely self-contained and autonomous so that no external input is needed," Kriegleder said.

This project by the Zurich's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC) was not developed for any specific purpose, although it could have huge implications for the future of transportation.

"The developed algorithms apply to any real systems that needs to be scalable and distributed," Kriegleder said. "One specific example could be a scalable mass transportation system, where one only adds so many modules that a certain payload could be lifted."

Future Trends

Researchers Develop 3D-Printed Self-Assembling Multi-Copter