Grasping Analysis of a Bio-Inspired UAV/MAV Perching Mechanism

This paper presents the grasping analysis of a bio-inspired UAV/MAV perching mechanism designed at New Mexico State University. The mechanism is composed of a cable-driven leg mechanism and two cable-driven underactuated three-digit feet. The mechanical design was based on the analysis of the anatomy of bird legs and feet. In this paper, the grasping stable condition of the mechanical foot is studied through a quasi-static analysis, which models the relationship between the actuated forces of a digit and the contact forces on each phalanx. Using this model, we can understand the foot’s stable grasping configuration regions. Furthermore, the contact behavior between each foot and the perched object is evaluated using the Hertz contact force model on SimMechanics. The static analysis conclusion and the contact analysis show that this paper has given a fundamental contribution for the designed artificial foot used in developing UAV/MAV perching technology.