A Bimodal Rolling-Flying Robot for Micro Level Inspection of Flat and Inclined Surfaces

Employing aerial robots for inspection and maintenance of civil structures can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of these missions. While the benefits of aerial robots for distant inspection of structures have been extensively demonstrated, limited airborne solutions exist that can perform such tasks in centimeter-range proximity to their surface, or while in physical contact with them. This letter describes the modeling and control of a Bimodal aerial robot, consisting of a common quadrotor equipped with two passive wheels, that is capable of efficient and stable locomotion on planar and inclined surfaces, all using the same set of actuators. A linear and a nonlinear motion controller is proposed for the different modes of operation, and their performance is evaluated through a series of experiments that make use of the hybrid characteristics of the vehicle.