On 21 and 22 September, the GRVC of the University of Seville hosted the workshop ‘Energy-efficient flapping-wing robots’ with more than ten international speakers, outdoor and indoor experiments, which explored the synergies and results of the research carried out in the ERC Advanced Grants GRIFFIN
The GRVC Robotics Laboratory of the School of Engineering of the University of Seville, directed by Anibal Ollero, and the Robotics and Mechatronics Group of the University of Twente have organised the workshop ‘Energy-efficient flapping-wing robots’. This event, which featured renowned international speakers, was held on 21 and 22 September at the GRVC facilities.
This workshop, within the framework of the euROBIN project, explored the synergies and results of the research carried out in the ERC Advanced Grants GRIFFIN (General compliant aerial Robotic manipulation system Integrating Fixed and Flapping wings to increase range and safety) and Portwings initiatives. More than a dozen experts from Europe, America, Asia and Oceania specialised in robots and flapping-wing unmanned aerial vehicles took part.
In addition to the presentation of the results, indoor and outdoor experiments and the implementation of flight control on a flapping wing prototype have been carried out during these two days. The main objective is to bring together some of the world’s leading experts in robotics, flapping wing and artificial intelligence to share knowledge and explore the results obtained by different methods, comparing and discussing the experiments.
Activities
On the 21st and 22nd, the validation of the models using methods such as CFD, wind tunnels and motion tracking systems will be discussed. Aspects such as the applicability and generality of the model and the differences between real prototypes of flapping wings (bio-inspired robots) were also tested, differentiating them by characteristics such as size and behaviour. Control strategies have been addressed, with emphasis on the optimal combination of flapping and gliding to perform energy-efficient missions under certain wind conditions.
The workshop has also included modelling, control and testing of autonomy in manoeuvres such as obstacle avoidance, landing and landing on branch-like surfaces, with the aim of mimicking behaviour and environments similar to those found in the open air. On the other hand, the application of the methods on flapping-wing robots such as E-flap and Robird has been studied, discussing also the transferability at hardware and software level.
