South Korean 'flying cart' could elevate your shopping experience

South Korean 'flying cart' could elevate your shopping experience

South Korean researchers from the Mobile Robotics Lab (MRL) at Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) have developed a new aerial cargo transportation platform called ‘Palletrone’, which can be controlled by direct human interaction while maintaining in-air stability. As the name suggests, Palletrone is a combination of cargo ‘pallet’ and multirotor ‘drone’: in effect, a flying shopping cart. Cargo can be placed on top of the pallet and moved around by applying gentle force, even while walking on stairs - something not possible with a conventional cart. The research team, led by Lee Seung-jae, a professor of Mechanical System Design Engineering at SeoulTech, said existing multirotor drones have fixed wings and need to be tilted to change direction while hovering. Lee said the Palletrone's applications are not limited to transportation; it could also be used for aerial tasks with a robotic arm or docking with other drones. The research was published earlier this year in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.

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