Abstract: 

Advancing small aerial robots involves overcoming challenges in efficiency, versatility, and autonomy posed by miniaturization and resource constraints. My research embraces bio-inspired design principles and mechanical intelligence to push boundaries in what’s achievable. This talk will explore how bio-inspiration and a minimalist approach have led to significant advancements. We will discuss our recent work on the Hopcopter, a novel hybrid hopping-flying robot. Our design showcases how passive elements can simplify actuation and improve overall agility, demonstrating how compliant mechanisms and energy recuperation can radically enhance performance of robotic locomotion systems. Together, these biologically-motivated innovations enable miniature aerial vehicles to take on increasingly complex real-world tasks with limited payload capacity and power.

Biography: 

Pakpong Chirarattananon is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University in 2014 and B.A. in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. His research is primarily centered on biologically-inspired robotic systems, micro aerial vehicles, and hybrid locomotion. Pakpong has developed a highly efficient revolving-wing drones, flapping-wing robots, and multimodal multirotors, with publications in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature, and Science Robotics. His approach involves the use of intelligent mechanisms to address the complexities of power, dynamics, and control, as he seeks to enhance the capabilities of small robotic devices through a deeper understanding of the synergy between mechanical design, actuation, dynamics, control strategies, and environmental conditions. Pakpong serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR) and IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L). His contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2021 IEEE Transactions on Robotics King-Sun Fu Memorial Best Paper Award.

ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME

For further information, please contact Prof. Fu Zhang