Haptic Interface with Linear Magnetorheological (MR) Brakes for Drone Control

A new haptic interface with magnetorheological (MR) brakes was developed to provide force feedback to the remote operator of a drone for indoor flight. Small linear MR-brakes with high force-to-volume ratio were designed. Experiments were conducted to assess the performance of the brakes. Straight line flight towards a wall was used as a flight experiment to assess how well the user could control the drone with and without haptic feedback. The drone was equipped with a proximity sensor. As it approached the wall, the brakes locked the joysticks and the system brought the drone to a hover. Results showed that the interface helped improve the user's ability to control the drone.