Origami Robot for Explosive Ordinance Disposal (OREOd)

Wheelock, Ryley; Perno, Daniel; Looney, Tyler; Teran, Gus; Scalise, Michael; Savard, Nathan; Milligan, Archie

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Origami Robot for Explosive Ordinance Disposal (OREOd)

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The demining of landmines using drones is challenging; air-releasable payloads are typically non-intelligent (e.g., water balloons or explosives) and deploying them at even low altitudes (~6 meter) is inherently inaccurate due to complex deployment trajectories and constrained visual awareness by the drone pilot. Soft robotics offers a unique approach for aerial demining, namely due to the robust, low-cost, and lightweight designs of soft robots. Instead of non-intelligent payloads, here, we propose the use of air-releasable soft robots for demining. We developed a full system consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle retrofitted to a soft robot carrier including a custom-made deployment mechanism, and air-releasable, lightweight, and untethered soft hybrid robots with integrated electronics that incorporate various pneumatic actuators. We demonstrate a deployment cycle in which the drone drops the soft robotic hybrid from an altitude of 2 m meters and after which the robot approaches a dummy landmine. By deploying soft robots at points of interest, we can transition soft robotic technologies from the laboratory to real-world environments.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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