Saturday, August 29, 2026

Drones with tiny spikes landing on and travel with and monitor the routes of Arctic icebergs

Amazing stuff! The possibilities of applying drones are limitless or the sky is the limit! 😊

Make drones land almost anywhere!

"Microspines are one of many ways to enable robots to latch onto surfaces like walls and ceilings. Now roboticists in Canada are using the mini spikes to get drones to land on a more challenging, remote surface: icebergs.

Like a spider, the Ice Dart can land on and latch onto steep, slippery surfaces such as icebergs and glaciers—an increasingly useful capability as activity in the Arctic increases. The drone can grip onto icy slopes of nearly 60 degrees, which is way beyond what most humans could manage without special equipment.

In a recent study, researchers explained how they developed the Ice Dart drone with a special landing gear that absorbs the impact of a hard landing while holding the drone in place with tiny spines that penetrate and grip the ice. ...

The researchers were motivated by a desire to allow drones to land almost anywhere in the world, since the availability of safe landing sites is one of the primary limitations on where and how drones can operate. The researchers already have a history of developing drones that can land on fast-moving trucks as well as trailers, boats, and steep roofs. ..."

Arctic Iceberg Drones Turn Sheer Ice Into Landing Pads - IEEE Spectrum "Using its spiny feet, Ice Dart can latch on to glaciers and drifting icebergs, allowing for long-term monitoring"

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