A foldable cargo drone

The field of drone delivery is currently a big topic in robotics. However, the reason that your internet shopping doesn't yet arrive via drone is that current flying robots can prove a safety risk to people and are difficult to transport and store. A team from the Floreano Lab, NCCR Robotics and EPFL present a new type of cargo drone that is inspired by origami, is lightweight and easily manoeuvrable and uses a foldaway cage to ensure safety and transportability. A foldable protective cage sits around a multicopter and around the package to be carried, shielding spinning propellers and ensuring safety of all people around it. When the folding cage is opened in order to either load or unload the drone, a safety mechanism ensures that the engine is cut off, meaning that safety is ensured, even with completely untrained users.