A robotics laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in central China’s Hunan province has developed a mosquito-sized drone for covert military operations. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
MIT’s AI-Enabled Control System Helps Autonomous Drones Stay on Target in Uncertain Environments
An autonomous drone carrying water to help extinguish a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada might encounter swirling Santa Ana winds that threaten to push it off course. Rapidly adapting to these unknown disturbances inflight presents an enormous challenge for the drone’s flight control system. Continue reading
Safety-Assured High-Speed Navigation for MAVs
A groundbreaking development by Professor Fu Zhang and researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has enabled drones and micro air vehicles (MAVs) to emulate the flight capabilities of birds more closely than ever before. Continue reading
New Technology to Wirelessly Power Drones in Flight
A research group led by Takayuki Matsumuro, a researcher at the Wave Engineering Laboratory of the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) in Japan, has developed a new technology for wirelessly transmitting power to drones in flight.
DARPA Program Sets Distance Record for Power Beaming
In a series of recent tests in New Mexico, the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program achieved several new records for transmitting power over distance. The team recorded more than 800 watts of power delivered during a 30-second transmission from a laser 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) away. Continue reading
China’s Weather Drones Experiment – One Cup of Cloud Seed Makes 30 Swimming Pools of Rain
Chinese government scientists have released the results of a weather modification experiment in the dry western region of Xinjiang. A fleet of cloud seeding drones increased rainfall by over 4 per cent across more than 8,000 sq km (3,089 sq miles) in a day, according to the project team led by Li Bin, senior engineer with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). Continue reading
UK Research on Drones’ Role in Future Construction
A new wave of technology is poised to revolutionize the industry, with flying robots at the forefront. Researchers in the UK are exploring how drones could not only build skyscrapers but also transform how we approach construction, from routine repairs to disaster relief efforts. Continue reading
NASA Studies Wind Effects and Aircraft Tracking with Joby Aircraft
NASA engineers began using a network of ground sensors in March to collect data from an experimental air taxi to evaluate how to safely integrate such vehicles into airspace above cities – in all kinds of weather. Researchers will use the campaign to help improve tools to assist with collision avoidance and landing operations and ensure safe and efficient air taxi operations in various weather conditions. Continue reading