Foldable Micro Aerial Vehicles

Folding is an efficient way of constructing 3D structures. It requires less energy to manufacture and less space for storage. This paper presents a robot fabrication method inspired by origami. Crease pattern is laser cut onto polyester sheets to become the basic parts that form the structure of robot. Such parts are then folded and assembled together. To demonstrate the functionality and reliability of this fabrication method, two kinds of micro aerial vehicles, a quadcopter and a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, are designed and tested. Test flights are performed on both vehicles