Palletrone: Flying shopping trolleys are not far away

The Palletrone is a new aerial cargo transportation platform, developed by researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology in Korea.

From Superinnovators 27/09/24

Designed for human-robot interaction, the Palletrone is the world’s first flying shopping trolley, complete with a rear-mounted handle.

Users control the drone’s movement by applying forces and torques to the handle, while the Palletrone keeps its roll and pitch at zero to ensure cargo stability.

Its advanced control system, based on admittance control techniques, differentiates between the force exerted by cargo and by human touch.

The Palletrone uses rotatable internal propeller arms to vector thrust in any direction, ensuring a stable flight even with unevenly loaded cargo.

Although not yet autonomous, the Palletrone can remain stationary if the user lets go, maintaining position until the battery depletes.

The current model can carry up to 3 kilograms of cargo, but researchers continue to explore ways to enhance power and battery life.

Interestingly, researchers suggest the Palletrone could also function as a flying tripod or dolly, useful for flexible camera movements.

To address battery limitations, the team is developing a system that allows one Palletrone to swap the battery of another in-flight.

The Palletrone was featured in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters journal, showcasing its potential for commercial and industrial applications.