Flexbee: A Grasping and Perching UAV Based on Soft Vector-Propulsion Nozzle

TL;DR

Flexbee is a novel UAV integrating flight, grasping, and perching using soft vector-propulsion nozzles, demonstrating versatile capabilities and advanced control strategies validated through experiments.

Contribution

This paper introduces Flexbee, a UAV with integrated grasping and perching functions enabled by soft vector-propulsion nozzles, and develops a hierarchical control strategy for its operation.

Findings

Successful flight, grasping, and perching experiments conducted

Decoupled position and attitude control achieved

Effective nonlinear coupling resolution through linearization

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to design a new type of grasping and perching unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called Flexbee, which features a soft vector-propulsion nozzle (SVPN). Compared to previous UAVs, Flexbee integrates flight, grasping, and perching functionalities into the four SVPNs. This integration offers advantages including decoupled position and attitude control, high structural reuse, and strong adaptability strong adaptability for grasping and perching. A dynamics model of Flexbee has been developed, and the nonlinear coupling issue of the moment has been resolved through linearization of the equivalent moment model. A hierarchical control strategy was used to design controllers for the two operational modes of Flexbee. Finally, flight, grasping, and perching experiments were conducted to validate Flexbee's kinematic capabilities and the effectiveness of the control strategy.