Imagine a drone that can roll across the ground like a small vehicle, jump over obstacles, and then take off into the sky—all using just a single motor. It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now developed exactly that. This innovative drone combines three different ways of moving into one lightweight and efficient design, making it capable of traveling through places where ordinary drones would struggle.
Most modern drones are designed only for flight. While they are excellent at reaching high places quickly, they often face problems when flying continuously. Flying consumes a lot of energy, and obstacles such as walls, rocks, trees, or uneven terrain can make navigation difficult. To solve these challenges, engineers have been developing multimodal drones—machines that can move in more than one way.
However, there has always been one major problem. Most multimodal drones require several motors and complicated mechanical systems to switch between driving, walking, jumping, or flying. These extra components increase the drone's weight, reduce battery life, and make the overall design more expensive and difficult to maintain.
A research team led by Won Dong Shin has now introduced a clever solution. Instead of relying on multiple motors, they created a multimodal winged drone that performs all of these movements using only a single actuator, or motor. This simple design significantly reduces weight while still allowing the drone to roll, jump, and fly whenever needed.
A New Way of Moving
The secret behind this drone is its specially designed transmission system. This system controls the direction in which the motor rotates and uses that rotation to activate different movement modes.
When the motor spins in one direction, it powers a propeller. The spinning propeller produces thrust, allowing the drone to fly through the air. On the ground, the same thrust also pushes the drone forward while passive wheels help it roll smoothly across flat surfaces.
When the motor spins in the opposite direction, something completely different happens. Instead of powering the propeller, it activates a spring-loaded leg mechanism. The spring stores energy and then releases it rapidly, launching the drone into the air like a jumping insect.
This means that simply changing the motor's rotational direction allows the drone to switch between rolling, jumping, and flying without needing extra motors or complicated mechanical systems.
Rolling Saves Energy
Flying is one of the most energy-intensive ways to travel. Drone batteries often last only a short time because keeping the aircraft in the air requires continuous power.
Whenever possible, this new drone can simply roll along the ground using its wheels instead of flying. Rolling requires much less energy than staying airborne, allowing the drone to travel longer distances before its battery runs low.
This approach is especially useful in environments where flying isn't necessary, such as warehouses, roads, factory floors, tunnels, or smooth outdoor paths.
Jumping Opens New Possibilities
Ground vehicles often struggle with obstacles. A rock, staircase, fallen branch, or curb can stop a wheeled robot completely.
This new drone solves that problem by jumping.
The spring-leg mechanism stores elastic energy and releases it instantly, allowing the drone to leap over barriers that would otherwise block its path.
Researchers demonstrated that the drone can perform multiple consecutive jumps across different types of terrain. This capability allows it to continue moving even when the surface becomes rough or uneven.
Instead of searching for another route, the drone can simply jump over the obstacle and continue its mission.
Two Different Ways to Take Off
One of the most interesting features of the drone is that it has two different methods for becoming airborne.
Runway Take-Off
The drone can roll forward along the ground like a miniature airplane before lifting into the air. This runway take-off is highly energy efficient because the forward motion helps generate the speed needed for flight.
Since part of the lift comes from forward movement, the motor does not have to work as hard compared to taking off from a stationary position.
Jumping Take-Off
Sometimes there simply isn't enough room for a runway.
In those situations, the drone can use its spring-loaded leg to jump straight upward and immediately transition into flight.
This method requires very little space and is particularly useful in confined environments where traditional take-off would not be possible.
Researchers found that while runway take-off consumes less energy, jumping take-off works better when space is limited or when the ground conditions make rolling difficult.
Designed for Real-World Environments
Unlike many laboratory robots that only work under ideal conditions, this drone was tested in various environments.
The researchers demonstrated:
Fast wheeled movement across flat surfaces
Consecutive jumps over different terrain
Traditional runway take-offs
Jump-assisted take-offs from a stationary position
Smooth transitions between ground and air
These experiments show that the drone can adapt its movement depending on its surroundings instead of relying on only one method of transportation.
Why Simplicity Matters
Engineering often follows a simple rule: fewer moving parts usually mean better reliability.
Every additional motor, gearbox, sensor, or linkage adds weight, increases maintenance requirements, and creates more opportunities for mechanical failure.
By performing multiple tasks with a single actuator, this new design reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining impressive versatility.
A lighter drone also offers several important benefits:
Longer battery life
Lower manufacturing costs
Easier maintenance
Improved reliability
Greater operational efficiency
These advantages could make multimodal drones much more practical for everyday use.
Potential Applications
A drone that can roll, jump, and fly could be useful in many industries.
Search and Rescue
After earthquakes or building collapses, drones often encounter rubble and narrow spaces. This drone could roll through open areas, jump over debris, and fly when necessary to reach trapped survivors.
Industrial Inspection
Factories, warehouses, pipelines, and power plants contain environments where continuous flight is unnecessary. Rolling conserves energy, while jumping and flying help the drone inspect difficult-to-reach locations.
Agriculture
Large farms contain uneven ground, fences, irrigation systems, and crops. A multimodal drone could adapt its movement depending on the terrain while monitoring plant health.
Military and Defense
Scouting missions often require robots to move quietly, conserve power, and overcome obstacles. A drone capable of switching between rolling, jumping, and flying could improve mobility in challenging environments.
Planetary Exploration
Future robotic explorers on the Moon or Mars may encounter rocky landscapes where no single movement method is ideal. A multimodal design could help exploration robots navigate unpredictable terrain more efficiently.
A Step Toward Smarter Robots
Nature often inspires robotics. Birds walk before flying. Insects crawl, jump, and fly depending on the situation. Animals rarely rely on only one method of movement.
This new drone follows the same principle by selecting the most efficient form of locomotion for each environment.
Instead of wasting battery power by flying everywhere, it intelligently combines rolling, jumping, and flying into one compact machine.
Looking Ahead
As drone technology continues to evolve, engineers are focusing not only on making drones fly better but also on making them move smarter. The single-actuator multimodal winged drone developed by Won Dong Shin and his team demonstrates that advanced capabilities do not always require more motors or more complex machinery. Sometimes, a simpler design can deliver greater versatility.
By combining efficient ground travel, obstacle-clearing jumps, and reliable flight into one lightweight platform, this innovation expands the possibilities for drones operating in complex real-world environments. Whether assisting in disaster response, inspecting industrial facilities, exploring remote landscapes, or supporting future space missions, drones like this could become valuable tools wherever adaptability is essential.
This research represents an important step toward the next generation of intelligent robots—machines that can seamlessly switch between different modes of movement while remaining lightweight, energy-efficient, and ready to tackle environments that conventional drones simply cannot handle.
Reference: Shin, W.D., Phan, HV., Jeger, S.L. et al. Aerial and ground locomotion of winged drones powered by a single actuator. npj Robot (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44182-026-00108-w
Comments
Post a Comment