China develops ground-air dual-mode drone for Mars exploration featuring lightweight, energy-efficiency

A latest Chinese developed land-air dual-mode drone weighing about the same as an apple has shown promising potential in future Mars exploration with its features of being able to take off whenever needed, dodge obstacles and exceptional endurance, Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday.

Developed by the School of Astronautics at Harbin Institute of Technology, the prototype of ground-air dual-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) weighs only 300 grams, roughly the same as an apple. 

It can easily roll on the ground, take off whenever needed and dodge obstacles. Furthermore, with its ability to transform into multiple forms, such as dual wheels or a spherical shape, it can adapt to different environments and terrains. In addition, it can be equipped with mechanical arms to perform various tasks, the report said. 

For the purpose of adapting to special mission scenarios such as Mars exploration, the research team at the school overcame a series of technical challenges to design the drone as light in weight and compact in size for free takeoff and landing, meanwhile minimizing power consumption. 

According to Zhu Yimin, a PhD candidate from the institute who participated in the research, controlled by a servo motor, the drone can roll forward on the ground by shifting its center of gravity just as a roly-poly toy does. In the air, it relies primarily on a pair of counter-rotating coaxial rotors to realize direction control and stable flight. 

The team has also developed multiple models with different configurations. By rolling on the ground, these drones can move using conserved power , achieving an endurance more than six times that of drones of the same size.

Meanwhile, with modular and lightweight structural designs, the functions of these drones can be expanded to meet the requirements of tasks such as monitoring, flaw detection and maintenance. 

According to the research team, as the atmosphere on Mars is extremely thin, some Mars aerial vehicles have already been tested for application in surface exploration on the planet. At present, the air-ground cross-domain prototype drone has completed its prototype design and is expected to surpass already existing similar Mars aerial vehicles in terms of functionality and endurance. 

It is hoped that in the future the Chinese developed ground-air dual-purpose drones with both aerial and ground mobility capabilities will achieve longer endurance and extended observation time on Mars, Zhang Lixian, professor from the School of Astronautics at Harbin Institute of Technology, said. 

He added that it is also expected that such drones can be applied in various environments, such as underground coal mines, underground pipeline passages and subways, to assist in underground construction and the exploration of unknown subterranean spaces.