Innovative Drone System Enables High-Speed Landings on Moving Trucks

Researchers at the University of Sherbrooke’s Createk Research Lab have developed the DART (Direct Approach Rapid Touchdown) drone, a 2.4-kg quadcopter capable of landing on vehicles traveling at speeds up to 110 km/h (68 mph). This breakthrough addresses challenges in drone mobility, enabling applications such as military reconnaissance, supply delivery to mobile teams, or energy-efficient travel by hitching rides on vehicles. The DART drone features friction-based shock absorbers in its landing gear to dissipate kinetic energy without rebound, ensuring stable landings. It employs a high-speed vertical descent to maintain trajectory stability against wind gusts, followed by a pitch-leveling maneuver to prevent propeller damage and ensure all four legs absorb impact. Reverse thrust upon landing secures the drone to the vehicle’s surface. In tests, the DART successfully landed 38 times on a platform mounted on a pickup truck at 110 km/h. This innovation, detailed in the Journal of Field Robotics, enhances drone reliability in dynamic environments, opening new possibilities for unmanned aerial vehicle applications.