Researchers are developing drones that can land on sloping surfaces. A new type of landing gear prevents the drone from falling off the surface.

Researchers at Canada’s University of Sherbrooke have developed landing gear for drones that enable them to land on sloping surfaces, such as a roof.

According to the researchers, and something demonstrated in the video above, today’s commercial drones cannot land on rooftops because their landing gear usually makes drones simply bounce off the surface. The researchers’ solution to the problem includes more flexible landing gear. The landing gear is also equipped with a motor that moves the legs on the landing gear so that it absorbs the force that occurs when the drone lands, in order to prevent the drone from bouncing off the surface. Additionally, the drone’s rotors can be reversed, causing the drone to “push” down toward the ceiling it will land on.

The landing site and technology developed by the researchers mean that the drone will be able to land on surfaces with a slope of up to 60 degrees. Above all, it is believed that the system must be usable when the drone has to make an emergency landing in densely built areas so as not to injure anyone while landing. It remains to be seen if any commercial drone manufacturer will start outfitting their drones with this type of technology.

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