Nikolay Zherdev

Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Nikolay Zherdev is a robotics researcher whose work focuses on expanding the mobility and versatility of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). His key research areas include drone locomotion, robotic landing gear, and multi-modal mobility systems for aerial robots. Zherdev’s most notable contribution is the development of LocoGear, a novel robotic landing gear system that enables multicopters to land on uneven terrain and move across complex ground surfaces. This work, published in 2020, has garnered 18 citations and addresses a critical gap in UAV capability—most drones cannot handle non-flat landing zones or traverse obstacles on the ground. By integrating locomotion directly into the landing gear, Zherdev’s design allows a single drone to both fly and walk, significantly improving its performance in challenging environments like disaster zones, forests, or rocky landscapes. This achievement is particularly valuable for monitoring, exploration, and search-and-rescue missions where traditional UAVs would fail. Zherdev’s research pushes the boundaries of what drones can do, making them more adaptable and robust for real-world applications.