Transformer robot turns into a helicopter

A transformer robot that turns into a helicopter has been developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Distributed Robotics.

The robot uses separate motors to run the wheels and the rotors rather than a complex system. Although the first prototype is fragile, future designs will have simpler and more robust folding mechanisms, according to the researchers, including an extendable boom with a tail rotor, similar to those used by helicopters, to provide more stability in flight.