succeeded in perching fixed-wing robots from a catapult 26. The maneuver can happen as slow as needed and the position precision is superior to that of a forward flying robot. Drone perching tasks are performed from above thus not requiring significant unbalance resistance. In addition, ornithopters require an impact-resilient leg-claw system capable of stopping the fast-moving vehicle. The designs mentioned above are mounted on a multirotor UAV, which are capable of hovering as well as carrying heavier payloads, unlike flapping-wing robots. This robot possesses high graspability thanks to the multi-joint claw design. This robot features impressive perching capabilities without needing accurate control to perch using a tendon-driven locking mechanism for passive perching. recently presented a bird-inspired perching mechanism, installed under a multirotor 25. For example, multirotor UAVs, capable of hovering, were employed to perform localized perching with vision-based feature identification 23, 24. Researchers have also investigated how to perch robots to point locations. Attachment under beams was also shown with quadcopters, based on a bistable clamping mechanism 22. Multirotor UAVs are able to hang passively from branches of various diameters 20, or sit passively on branches 21. Attachment to a surface is an important issue, addressed differently with systems such as micro-spines 14, 15, spines 16, fiber-based adhesive 17, or nature-inspired mechanical grippers 18, 19. One example, a fixed-wing prototype capable of perching to walls was proposed in 13. Many solutions to perching unmanned aerial vehicles exist, and have been extensively reviewed 12. Indeed, appendage strength scales with the cross-sectional area \(\), also limiting how large perchers can be. Moreover, perching is more difficult for large (> 1 m wingspan) ornithopters. Importantly, the oscillations in altitude, induced from the flapping-wing motion, should be compensated by the grasping appendage, which has to tolerate misalignment. This is challenging due to the combined requirements of high-speed actuation, precise timing, and high impact resistance. Consequently, landing on the branch requires a grasping method capable of stopping a forward-moving flapping robot. On the other side, large flapping-wing robots and birds are unable to hover due to unfavorable scaling, and therefore need forward velocity to maintain flight and be controllable. Small-scale birds and robots that are capable of hovering circumvent this issue 8, 9, however they suffer from limited payload and increased manufacturing complexity. The hard-to-model, unsteady aerodynamics of the flapping-wing motion lead to less accurate control and therefore less accurate positioning. While the prospect of this technology is high, achieving localized perching from flapping-wing flight is challenging. Amongst all unmanned aircrafts, flapping-wing robots offer unrivaled safety operation making them suitable for interaction with humans, animals, plants and even industrial structures. perching on pipes, power lines, and other structures for contact inspection 7. Additionally, the capability to perch will enable many other applications, e.g. Solar charging could enable flapping-wing robots to travel on longer missions 5, 6. Energy recovery is an interesting possibility to extend the operation time of robots. Sample return of a leaf can be envisioned, enabling biologists to study those systems with minimum collection effort. ![]() Physical interaction with a tree could permit microscopic analysis of the branch’s surface as well 4. From a branch, robots can observe and track animals both on the ground and in flight. To start, they are ideal candidates to monitor wildlife, as their quiet and propeller-less operation has a lower impact on the environment 3. In flapping-wing robots, branch perching would also open a vast array of applications 3 for this class of robots. ![]() In nature, the ability to land on a variety of surfaces is essential for most birds to hunt prey, watch reproductive sites, rest between movements in the landscape, or to monitor territories 1, 2. ![]() ![]() Flight is energy-intensive, and no bird exists without some sort of perching system.
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