Overview
TAMS is the platform this whole research line grew out of. Instead of treating the airframe as a rigid flying camera mount, three lightweight robotic arms are mounted directly on the multirotor body so the vehicle can physically interact with its environment — gripping a handhold, pushing against a wall, or bracing itself the moment it touches down.
The arms let the UAV adaptively level itself after landing on rocking or uneven ground, and dock overhead onto a rail or ledge rather than settling on the floor beneath it — capabilities relevant to inspection work in cluttered, unstructured spaces where a flat landing surface isn't available.
The platform anchored a series of follow-up studies on rocking-surface takeoff, overhead docking, and adaptive leveling, and continues to inform newer autonomous-landing work.