Design and Control of a Collision-Resilient Aerial Vehicle With an Icosahedron Tensegrity Structure

We introduce collision-resilient aerial vehicles with icosahedron tensegrity structures, capable of surviving high-speed impacts and resuming operations postcollision. We present a model-based design approach, which guides the selection of the tensegrity components by predicting structural stresses through a dynamics simulation. Furthermore, we develop an autonomous reorientation controller that facilitates postcollision flight resumption. The controller enables the vehicles to rotate from an arbitrary orientation on the ground for takeoff. With collision-resilience and reorientation ability, the tensegrity aerial vehicles can operate in cluttered environments without complex collision-avoidance strategies. These capabilities are validated by a test of an experimental vehicle operating autonomously in a previously unknown forest environment.