Category Archives: Research

DARPA Gives Small Autonomous Systems a Tech Boost


DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program recently completed Phase 2 flight tests, demonstrating advanced algorithms designed to turn small air and ground systems into team members that could autonomously perform tasks dangerous for humans – such as pre-mission reconnaissance in a hostile urban setting or searching damaged structures for survivors following an earthquake. Continue reading

Controlling Drones via Voice Channels

Robust real-time control. Thanks to communication via conventional voice channels, the technology can be used immediately. Credit: Fraunhofer HHI

Drone communications must be stable and widely available, should cost as little as possible, and work reliably even when out of sight. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institute, HHI in Berlin have found a solution: call a drone. “miracle cure” fluctuates greatly, depending on the material used and the environmental factors. Continue reading