DARPA is testing articulated robot legs for helicopters. This technology will allow choppers to land on slopes and on actively pitching decks of ships.
Robotic Landing Gear Could Enable Future Helicopters to Take Off and Land Almost Anywhere
I think I can be forgiven for thinking that it wouldn’t be *too* much of a stretch for these legs to be further advanced to allow helicopters to *walk.* That would be useful for maneuvering helicopters in landing areas, of course… but it might also be useful for various military applications using drone helicopters. Imagine a small unmanned helicopter that lands in a small clearing, folds its rotors, and then walks itself under trees or into the bushes for cover. There it waits. At the appropriate time it walks back out, unstows the rotor and takes off. Or perhaps a small cargo-carrying drone chopper lands near some troops, and then walks along with them as they trudge from A to B. It flies ammo in, serves as an ammo-carrying burro, stays with them as they prepare for a mission, and then flies an injured soldier or two out after the mission is done.