Engineer Davide Falanga and his colleagues at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, have developed a system that allows drones to detect and quickly avoid moving objects in the air. The technology uses a high-resolution motion sensor to significantly reduce the aircraft’s reaction time to obstacles. The researchers performed several tests in which they threw objects, such as a basketball (photograph above), towards two four-engine drones during flight—one equipped with the new sensor, the other not. They performed the test 250 times, both indoors and outdoors. Commercially available drones with traditional cameras took up to 40 milliseconds to react, while those equipped with the new sensor took just 3.5 milliseconds (Science Robotics March 18). The hope is that the technology will be incorporated into drones on a large scale, improving their potential for tasks such as delivery services, aerial imaging, and search and rescue operations.
RepublishInnovation
More agile drones
FALANGA, D. et al. Science Robotics. 2020
