EASE

A flying 40 x 30 cm black robot consisting of a base and tall round protrusion. In the background is a row of houses and buildings.
EASE takes off during a flight test. Photo: CyPhy Works

EASE is a small hovering robot designed for operating in close quarters where wireless and GPS signals are limited. Applications include surveillance, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection.

Creator

CyPhy Works

Year
2012
Country
United States 🇺🇸
Categories
Features
EASE during at test at Fort Benning, Georgia. Video: CyPhy Works

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Appearance

Neutral

Did you know?

EASE stands for Extreme Access System for Entry.

A small flying robot in front of an open window.
EASE can fly into buildings through windows. Photo: CyPhy Works

History

The EASE concept was originally conceived by CyPhy Works engineer Sam Johnson. The product architecture and EASE airframe design were developed by Jason Walker and the CyPhy team. Founded by Helen Greiner, CyPhy Works collaborated with a team at Georgia Institute of Technology to develop the control system and machine vision technology to enable indoor flight. CyPhy's unique idea was adding a tether to its drone. The microfilament would provide a constant source of power to the drone, allowing it to stay aloft much longer than if it were using a battery. CyPhy Works shut down in 2019.

Specs

Overview

Microfilament tether carries power and data between robot and base station. Virtually unlimited flying time. Ducted fan protects rotors.

Status

Discontinued

Year

2012

Website
Width
30 cm
Height
40 cm
Weight
1.3 kg
Sensors

High-definition video cameras (forward looking and down looking). Thermal infrared camera. Down-looking sonar. Down-looking infrared distance sensor. Upward looking infrared distance sensor. IMU.

Actuators

Two brushless DC motors. Four micro servos.

Materials

Carbon fiber composites.

Compute

On-board: ARM7 processor and microcontrollers. Base station: Linux dual core computer.

Software

Linux-based OS; proprietary control software; interoperable with open standards.

Power

Vehicle gets power via microfilament connected to base station, which is powered by batteries, vehicles, generators, or the electrical grid.