
RoboBalloon
RoboBalloon is a helium ballon than can autonomously move along the ceiling – without any special infrastructure. It can be equipped with for example sensors, lights or loud speakers.
Challenge
Existing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, or drones) are facing significant limitations when it comes to effective navigation and monitoring in indoor environments. Yet, their deployment indoors is becoming increasingly important – particularly in the fields of surveillance, inspection, and monitoring, as well as in the entertainment sector.
For example, airships (such as zeppelins) have the disadvantage of being difficult to navigate precisely and are quite large in size. On the plus side, they are inexpensive to manufacture and operate silently. Rotor-based drones, on the other hand (such as quadcopters), on the other hand, offer highly precise navigation, but they are also very loud, require a lot of energy, and raise safety concerns.
Our Solution
The exterior of RoboBalloon consists of a spherical balloon. The balloon is filled with just enough helium to stay in contact with the ceiling. A small, spherical ground robot that is placed in the balloon serves as the drive unit for the prototype shown on the linked web-page (https://roboballoon.uni-goettingen.de/). When the inner spherical robot rotates, the outer balloon follows in the same direction due to friction between the two components (balloon and drive unit). RoboBalloon then moves in the opposite direction, due to friction between balloon and ceiling. This embodiment is shown in figure 1.
Other embodiments feature alternative drive mechanism, all sharing the common principle of movement while in contact with the ceiling.
Figure 1: Simplified representation of an embodiment with internal, spherical drive
Figure 2: Simplified representation of an embodiement with external differential drive
In contrast to the prototype (shown in figure 1), where the drive unit is integrated inside the envelope, variants with external propulsion systems are also conceivable. In such cases, the external drive could be attached using magnetic coupling. The propulsion system does not necessarily have to be a single spherical drive. It may also take the form of a platform with two differentially driven wheels, for instance. This principle is shown simplified in figure 2. The drive design schematically shown in figure 2 could of course be mounted internally as an alternative.
RoboBalloon can be equipped with a full range of sensors and actuators. When using an internal drive system, these sensors can also be housed internally, offering protection from environmental conditions. For configuration with an external drive, the sensors can be mounted alongside the drive unit.
Advantages
The configuration described offers numerous advantages such as:
- virtually no noise during movement
- an extremely low energy consumption
- precise and stable two-dimensional naviation
- no danger to humans
Applications
RoboBalloon could for example be used for indoor surveillance, in the field of gaming, or in the entertainment industry. An application as a museum guide would also be conceivable.
Development Status
Low-cost prototypes exist in different versions
Patent Status
German patent application has been filed in the name of Georg-August-University Goettingen
References
https://roboballoon.uni-goettingen.de/
Contact
Dr. Maria Kamper
Patent Manager
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel.: +49 551 30724 150
Reference: MM-2617-SUG
(Image Source Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marcus Baum, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)