Researchers built a robot that turns a fall from the sky into a sailing trip

Keeping an eye on remote waters is harder than it sounds. Boats take ages to get there, and aircraft can’t stick around long enough to be useful. As reported by TechXplore, researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) think they have cracked the problem, and nature gave them the idea.

Meet ALBATROSS, short for Airborne Lander with Buoyant AuToROtating Sailing Sensor. You drop it from the air, it lands on the water, flips itself upright, and then sails around on its own using wind power.

“We designed ALBATROSS to use the environment rather than fight it,” said Dr. Shane Kyi Hla Win, lead author of the study published in Science Robotics.

How does one robot fly and sail?

The trick lies in its rigid wingsails, which pull double duty. As ALBATROSS falls, the wings spin like a maple seed, slowing it down and keeping it steady, so there’s no need for a parachute. Once it lands, those same wings become sails. A fish tail-inspired rudder helps it steer when the wind is weak.

This keeps things simple. ALBATROSS uses just three actuators and three navigation sensors, while similar air-to-sea robots need six to eight actuators and more sensors.

In field trials, the team dropped it from 150 meters (490 feet). It spun down gently, righted itself, and sailed away without any help. Without those spinning wings, researchers estimate it would hit the water with about 18.5 times more impact energy. That would be quite the belly flop.

In Singapore’s reservoirs, a larger test version reached just under 1 km/h and ran for around three hours, recording humidity, heat levels, and wind direction.

Can it brave the open sea?

The answer is not yet. ALBATROSS is still a proof of concept and has only been tested in calm, sheltered waters. The team now wants to make it more rugged so it can survive stronger winds, currents, and waves.

Future versions could also carry underwater sensors, sonar, and bigger energy storage. If it all comes together, ALBATROSS could help with climate research, search and rescue, and maritime security. That’s not bad for a robot that learned its best moves from a tree seed.

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