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This study investigates the design and performance of a centimeter-scale ion-propelled micro hovercraft that utilizes ground proximity effects to enhance thrust efficiency and stability. By empirically analyzing various geometries and configurations of passive hovercraft skirts, the researchers developed a viable design that achieves a thrust efficiency of 16 mN/W and can carry an additional payload of nearly 1.5 grams. This work marks a significant advancement in electroaerodynamic propulsion, demonstrating the feasibility of power-autonomous flight for micro air vehicles and establishing a foundation for future developments in this area.
Achieving a thrust efficiency that surpasses existing electroaerodynamically propelled robots by an order of magnitude, this micro hovercraft opens new avenues for silent, stable flight in confined environments.
Electroaerodynamic propulsion is compelling for use in micro air vehicles due to its silent and solid-state nature, but its limited efficiency has thus far precluded a path towards power-autonomous flight. Recent work has shown that thrust density and efficiency for small-scale atmospheric ion thrusters can be vastly increased when operating close to a ground plane. Here, we explore the design space of centimeter-scale hovercraft, which can leverage this ground effect for low-altitude flight. We first perform an empirical investigation, characterizing the performance benefits and trade-offs for different geometries and configurations of passive hovercraft skirts, then use the results to fabricate a viable point design. We demonstrate a palm-sized hovercraft that, while tethered to an external power source, can fly for extended periods, withstand dozens of takeoff and landing cycles, passively stabilize to reject significant mechanical disturbances, and generate practically zero audible noise signature. The measured thrust efficiency of 16 mN/W and additional payload capacity of almost 1.5 grams above the vehicle's self mass of about 1.6 grams exceeds any similarly sized electroaerodynamically propelled robot by an order of magnitude. This is the first time an ion-propelled micro hovercraft has been shown in the open literature, and our work points the way towards an entirely new class of robot.
