The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched a new design for landing gear that could enable helicopters to land just about anywhere. Rather than the traditional fixed skids or wheels that are attached to the bottom of the helicopter's fuselage, the Mission Adaptive Rotor (MAR) Robotic Landing Gear is comprised of four articulated, jointed landing gear legs that can move independently of each other.
Each leg has a force-sensitive contact sensor that determines how much the leg should be extended to allow the helicopter to land on uneven and mobile surfaces while keeping the fuselage level. In flight, the landing gear legs fold flat against the helicopter.
"The equipment — mounted on an otherwise unmodified, unmanned helicopter — successfully demonstrated the ability to land and take off from terrain that would be impossible to operate from with standard landing gear," said DARPA's program manager Ashish Bagai.
Bagai said the technology has the potential to allow helicopters to land on moving ships, uneven surfaces and sloping terrain of up to 20 degrees, more than twice the current limits.
DARPA is funding the project, which is now being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology.
See this incredible technology for yourself in this video.
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