TECH – Italian researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa have made a breakthrough by successfully conducting the first controlled flight of iRonCub3, a jet‑powered humanoid robot designed for disaster response and inspection missions. Weighing approximately 70 kg and hovering about 50 cm off the ground, the robot integrates advanced flight control systems to maintain stability during lift‑off.
Built upon IIT’s earlier iCub research platform, iRonCub3 features four micro‑jet turbines—two mounted on its arms and two on a backpack‑style jetpack—capable of generating around 1,000 N of thrust and reaching exhaust temperatures up to 800 °C. To support these extreme conditions, the robot has been equipped with a titanium spinal structure and heat‑resistant coverings that shield vital components from the fiery exhaust.
Achieving stable flight in a humanoid frame presented complex engineering challenges. Contrary to symmetric drones, iRonCub3’s uneven structure and movable limbs demanded sophisticated modeling and control strategies. “Our models include neural networks trained on simulated and experimental data and are integrated into the robot’s control architecture to guarantee stable flight,” explained Antonello Paolino, the study’s lead author and PhD candidate.
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The IIT engineers emphasized that iRonCub3 represents an integrated evolution from previous iterations. “iRonCub3 represents a major leap forward from earlier versions of the iRonCub project,” they noted, highlighting the successful fusion of propulsion design, estimation algorithms, and aerodynamic learning into a single functioning platform.
Before real-world testing, the team validated the system using extensive simulations and wind‑tunnel experiments informed by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), ensuring the robot responded predictably to jet exhaust and joint movements. They also employed linear parameter‑varying model predictive control (MPC) to dynamically configure joint positions and throttle settings for flight stability.
The successful hover marks a key milestone toward humanoid robots capable of entering hazardous or hard‑to‑reach environments—such as collapsed buildings or industrial disaster zones—without endangering human operators. The team now aims to enhance the flight controller to handle external disturbances like wind, further advancing the robot’s readiness for real‑world scenarios.
Professor Daniele Pucci, head of IIT’s AMI Lab, said this represents “a substantial leap forward” in humanoid robotics, as the platform merges aerodynamics, thermodynamics, multibody dynamics, and real‑time control into one integrated experimental system.
Source: Scitechdaily
