The European project HUUVER, dedicated to the creation of a copter with tracks, has moved to the testing stage. The new device is capable of both flying and driving on terrain with difficult terrain. АиФ.ги evaluated the tankodron’s abilities.
Crawler robots crawling on the ground and multicopters flying through the air have their advantages. The former can carry large loads and spend little energy on it. However, some obstacles are insurmountable for them, and the speed of movement leaves much to be desired.
The latter move through the air, so in terms of terrain, only the place of takeoff and landing is important for them. On the other hand, their working hours are very limited.
Polish companies Dronehub and Rectangle together with Czech Gina Software, Austrian Bladescape and Brimatech Services, Spanish NTT Data and Finnish Lappeenranta University of Technology founded the HUUVER project. It is dedicated to the creation of a tank drone, a tracked platform with screws. The device will be able to move both on the ground and in the air.
Its name is an abbreviation of «Hybrid UAV-UGV for Efficient Relocation of Vessels,» («Hybrid UAV-UGV for efficient vessel movement»). HUUVER is being developed as part of a European Union project.
The developers of HUUVER have published a video of the prototype tests — it lasts for five minutes. The device looks like an ordinary black copter, on which thin green caterpillars are stretched. From afar, it can even be mistaken for some kind of sled.
HUUVER has shown that he is able to move on surfaces with difficult terrain. In particular, at first he confidently crawled across the sand, then overcame a bunch of small stones mixed with large ones, confidently descended from a grassy hill and spun on the spot. In another part of the video, he famously rode through the snow cover and rose from it into the air, showing his all-weather ability.
Next, the device demonstrated itself in the air, spun at a low altitude, flew over the field, made several maneuvers. We also tested him indoors, where he also traveled and flew, that is, fulfilled his direct tasks.
A potential use scenario is also demonstrated when a tankodron is called for the delivery of emergency medical supplies. The operator carefully selects the desired point on the map.
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The prototype has decent dimensions – 137 centimeters in length, 84 in width, 56 in height, weighs 23 kilograms. During ground missions, the drone tank can operate for up to 10 hours on a single charge of its lithium battery. It takes off with the help of eight screws located inside the tracked platforms. HUUVER can spend up to 20 minutes in the air.
The device can be remotely controlled by operators, but it can also fly autonomously. It is equipped with a Sony 4K optical camera, thermal imager, Galileo satellite navigation system, lidar and Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier microprocessor.
The project has already passed the research and development stage and moved on to commercialization. But it is not yet known when the robot can be bought. Most likely, it will find application in industrial, military and rescue missions. In addition, the device can be used in science, for the study of flora and fauna. He will be able to fly to a hard-to-reach place of research, take the necessary shots and return.
https://newatlas.com/drones/huuver-ground-air-drone/