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Subterranean Rollocopter Robot
Robotics at JPL .

Rollocopter

An innovative robot that can either roll or fly

Robot Statistics

Ability

Driving, Flying

Environment

Aerial, Ground, Surface

Movement

Wheeled, Moving, Flight

Status

Completed (since 2020)

About Rollocopter

Is it a rover or a flyer? It's both. Rollocopter, a hybrid aerial and terrestrial platform, uses a quadrotor system to fly or roll along on two passive wheels. This design gives the robot greater range than aerial-only quadrotors and eliminates obstacle-avoidance issues associated with ground-only robots. When Rollocopter encounters an obstacle, it can simply fly over it. To fly this robot requires a celestial body with an atmosphere and could be used to explore subterranean caves other worlds.

Agility

All-in-One

Rollocopter uses the same motors and control system for both flying and rolling, which keeps it simple and light.

Mobility

Long Hauler

It can travel distances up to 10 times greater than an aerial drone.

Factoid

All-in-One

Rollocopter uses the same motors and control system for both flying and rolling, which keeps it simple and light.

Factoid

Long Hauler

It can travel distances up to 10 times greater than an aerial drone.

Image gallery

Gallery description

Find Out More

DARPA Subterranean Challenge at JPL Robotics
NASA Robots Compete Underground in DARPA Challenge

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