Micro Glider Project (2004-2005)

We proposed to develop a new class of very low mass (1 gram and below) and low-cost autonomous fliers which can cover a wide area, using gliding or active flight. Using insect-inspired optical-flow motion detection, large numbers of fliers will rapidly fan out to scout an area. An example application is in fighting forest fires, where large areas need to be inexpensively monitored. The piezo actuated control surfaces developed in the micromechanical flying insect project provide the breakthrough technology needed to construct such lightweight flying platforms.

This was a joint project between UC Berkeley and Centeye, Inc. The project results are described in R.J. Wood et al, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol. 14, no. 2, June 2007.

Artist's rendering of original proposed 1 gram micro-glider.	Completed microglider, less than 3 grams mass, with on-board control processor for sensing and steering.
Image sequence showing microglider responding to stimulus and turning towards IR source.	Electronics Block Diagram for MicroGlider

Publications

An Autonomous Palm-Sized Gliding Micro Air Vehicle: Design, Fabrication, and Results of a Fully Integrated Centimeter-Scale MAV,

R.J. Wood, S. Avadhanula, E. Steltz, M. Seeman, J. Entwistle, A. Bachrach, G. Barrows, S. Sanders, and R.S. Fearing,

IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 82-91, June 2007.

Power Electronics Design Choice for Piezoelectric Microrobots,

E. Steltz, M. Seeman, S. Avadhanula, and R.S. Fearing,

Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing, China Oct.9-13, 2006.

Design, Fabrication and Initial Results of a 2g Autonomous Glider

R.J. Wood, S. Avadhanula, E. Steltz, M. Seeman, J. Entwistle, A. Bachrach, G. Barrows, S. Sanders, and R.S. Fearing,

31st Annual Conference, IEEE Industrial Electronics Society 2005 Meeting, Raleigh North Carolina, Nov. 6-10, 2005.

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