Bat-detecting drones could help us find out what the animals get up to when flying. Ultrasonic detectors on drones in the air and on the water are listening in on bat calls, in the hope of discovering more about the mammals’ lives beyond the reach of ground-based monitoring devices. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
Swarms of Drones Test New Dogfighting Skills
Aerial dogfighting began more than a century ago in the skies over Europe with propeller-driven fighter aircraft carried aloft on wings of fabric and wood. An event held recently in southern California could mark the beginning of a new chapter in this form of aerial combat.
Improved Maneouverability for UAVs
Modified UAV with actuators enabling rotor tilt.
Investigators at the Institute of Systems Optimization (ITE) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have undertaken a project to increase the level of control of quadrotor drones by adding tilt-able rotors and associated control systems.
Non-GNSS Approach to UAV Navigation
Investigators at the Institute of Systems Optimization (ITE) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have been working on a promising approach that does not use GNSS.
NASA Developing Drones for Mars Exploration
Using rovers has done wonders to open up Mars exploration, but traveling at a rate of about 10 mi (16 km) every four and half years is still a bit limiting, so NASA”s Langley Research Center is looking at expanding that range by equipping future missions with autonomous aerial drones. Continue reading
New Prediction Method Sheds Brighter Light on Flight
Resembling a feathered flying ace with his miniature protective goggles and chinstrap, the parrotlet named Obie stood ready to take off. On signal, Obie propelled into the air, flapped through a laser field infused with micro-particles and landed on another perch three feet away. Continue reading
Hybrid UAV U-Lion with Three Flying Modes
Two PhD students in National University of Singapore, Unmanned System Research Group spent four years in developing the novel hybrid unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV), U-Lion as shown in Figure 1. U-Lion is a hybrid UAV which can take-off and land vertically like helicopter UAVs, and transit to cruise flight like normal airplanes. Continue reading
Canada Develops Vision Based Drone Navigation System
Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) has entered into a Sponsored Research and Collaboration Agreement with the University of Toronto and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Development granting program to jointly develop a vision based navigation solution for UAV’s (drones) to safely navigate without the reliance of GPS technology. Continue reading