Drone Swarms That Can Navigate Dense Forest Burst Out of Science Fiction Into Real World
upstart writes:
Drone swarms that can navigate dense forest burst out of science fiction into real world:
Chinese scientists have proven that aerial robots can work together, navigate obstacles and, perhaps worryingly, track humans out of sight
Drone swarms that dart nimbly around obstacles, mapping their surroundings or searching for fugitives, have long been the stuff of science fiction. But now Chinese scientists have proven that aerial robots can work together, manoeuvring at speed through a dense bamboo forest without crashing into the plants or themselves.
In new footage, released by a team from Zhejiang University, a swarm of 10 lightweight drones was filmed moving gracefully through the gaps between trunks, successfully navigating uneven ground, weeds and tangled branches.
The system works through an algorithm which crunches data from cameras on the drone, mapping the surroundings in real time and looking for obstacles and other craft, before readjusting the flight path as needed.
[...] It does not need a GPS signal to locate itself, meaning it could be used in areas with little satellite penetration such as deep cave systems, impenetrable forests or even other planets. The breakthrough could allow surveying of remote wildlife or hunting for survivors in disaster zones which are often harsh, remote or difficult to navigate.
The full story contains some impressive video footage.
Journal Reference:
XIN ZHOU, XIANGYONG WEN, et. al.,Swarm of micro flying robots in the wild, Science Robotics, Vol. 7, No 66, (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abm5954)
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