Gimball Flying Spherical Robot is Built to Handle Numerous Collisions
Posted on November 2, 2013
The Gimball from the EPFL is a flying spherical robot that is built to handle numerous collisions. The developers call it a "crash-happy flying robot."
The lightweight robot (370 grams) is equipped with a protective cage. The robot was inspired by insects and it even makes an insect-like buzzing noise. The advantage with a robot like Gimball is that the developers don't have to concern themselves much with collision avoidance as the robot is not damaged during its many collisions. The EPFL says the goal of Gimball was "to develop a machine that could operate in extremely chaotic environments without the need for fragile sensors."
The video shows the robot flying through a forest and making progress despite colliding with trees and shrubbery. Take a look: