3.2克触觉装置让微型无人机靠触觉黑暗飞行
Whisker-based Tactile Flight for Tiny Drones
- 仿生触须+气压传感，实现飞行中轻柔触碰感知
- 触觉深度估计算法精度达亚毫米级（<6mm）
- 全在192KB内存芯片上运行，适合极限环境
微型飞行机器人在搜救、巡检和环境监测中潜力巨大，但其小型化限制了传统传感器性能，尤其在昏暗、烟尘或反光环境中。受自然启发，我们提出一种重仅3.2克的轻量化触须式触觉感知装置，使微型无人机可通过温和物理接触实现导航与探索。如同鼠类和鼹鼠用胡须感知环境，该系统赋予无人机空中触觉，即使在完全黑暗条件下也能探测障碍物。装置采用基于气压的触须传感器，在最小化飞行扰动的同时检测障碍位置；为应对传感器噪声与漂移，开发了触觉深度估计算法，精度达亚毫米级（<6 mm）。系统可实现自主触觉飞行，沿软硬表面绕行并探索密闭空间。整个系统运行于仅192 KB RAM的微控制器上，已在仿真与真实场景中验证。该仿生方法重新定义了无视觉导航，为微尺度飞行器在极端环境中的应用开辟新路径。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Tiny flying robots hold great potential for search-and-rescue, safety inspections, and environmental monitoring, but their small size limits conventional sensing-especially with poor-lighting, smoke, dust or reflective obstacles. Inspired by nature, we propose a lightweight, 3.2-gram, whisker-based tactile sensing apparatus for tiny drones, enabling them to navigate and explore through gentle physical interaction. Just as rats and moles use whiskers to perceive surroundings, our system equips drones with tactile perception in flight, allowing obstacle sensing even in pitch-dark conditions. The apparatus uses barometer-based whisker sensors to detect obstacle locations while minimising destabilisation. To address sensor noise and drift, we develop a tactile depth estimation method achieving sub-6 mm accuracy. This enables drones to navigate, contour obstacles, and explore confined spaces solely through touch-even in total darkness along both soft and rigid surfaces. Running fully onboard a 192-KB RAM microcontroller, the system supports autonomous tactile flight and is validated in both simulation and real-world tests. Our bio-inspired approach redefines vision-free navigation, opening new possibilities for micro aerial vehicles in extreme environments.
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