Morphy: A Compliant and Morphologically Aware Flying Robot

This study introduces a novel compliant and morphologically aware aerial robot called Morphy. The system is small (primary dimension 25.2 cm), lightweight (260 g), and agile (thrust‐to‐weight ratio of 3.3) while simultaneously integrating sensorized flexible joints in its arms. These elastic joints unlock the potential of experiencing flexible deformations, thus enabling the robot to resiliently withstand collisions at high speeds and squeeze through openings more narrow than its nominal dimensions. Extensive analysis of the flexible joints’ behavior under static loads and in free flight is conducted. Driven by the deformations that the robot can experience, adaptive control allocation exploiting real‐time angle deflection feedback from Hall‐effect sensors embedded in the joints is proposed and combined with fixed‐gain control. To demonstrate Morphy's performance, multiple experiments are conducted, including free flight trajectory tracking, impacts with the environment, and flying through narrow passages. As shown, the system can withstand collisions up to 7.6 m s −1 in drop tests and 3 m s −1 midflight while recovering back to hover. Finally, Morphy's capability to passively change its shape and squeeze through openings smaller than its nominal size is showcased both in the horizontal and in the vertical directions.