RAVEN: EPFL’s Bird Inspired Robot That Can Hop & Jump Into Flight

We are always learning new things by studying nature. Researchers have been inspired by many animals to come up with better robot designs. Take RAVEN for instance: standing for Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple Environments, this robot’s design is based on perching birds like raven. It has legs that enable taking off in environments not friendly towards winged drones.

RAVEN can traverse gaps and jump onto elevated surfaces up to 26cm high. It uses springs and motors to mimic avian tendons and muscles. The above video shows RAVEN in action.

[where to get it] [paper: Won Dong Shin, Hoang-Vu Phan, Monica A. Daley, Auke J. Ijspeert & Dario Floreano]