Engineers at the Italian Institute of Technology have, for the first time in the world, lifted a humanoid robot into the air using a jetpack. The iRonCub MK3 robot, built on the iCub project, weighs 22 kg and is about a meter tall. It is equipped with four mini jet engines—two mounted on the arms and two on the back.
During the tests, the robot successfully took off to a height of about half a meter, demonstrating stability and maneuverability. This was made possible by a modified design and an intelligent motion-control system (an MPC algorithm) that coordinates all the engines and joints.
The main goal of the project is to create mobile autonomous robots for work in hard-to-reach and dangerous conditions for humans. In the future, the team plans to put the robot’s hands back in place so it can perform rescue or technical tasks directly while flying: the hands had to be temporarily removed to install the engines. Next up are outdoor trials, adaptation to wind and weather conditions, and possibly the first fully functional flying rescue assistant with intelligence and hands.
