Bio-Inspired Whiskers Enable Tiny Drones to Navigate in Darkness Using Touch

Bio-inspired whiskers enable tiny drones to navigate in darkness using touch

Rats and mice can scurry through dark, tight spaces with ease—in caves, underground burrows, buildings or sewers. Their superpower is their whiskers. Now, tiny autonomous drones could soon navigate through darkness, dust and smoke using artificial whiskers inspired by these animals. Their small size limits the use of large or heavy sensors for navigation. That's why researchers at Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) have developed a…

Rodent-inspired artificial whiskers enable touch-based drone flight

Researchers developed a whisker-based tactile framework that lets drones feel their way through complex spaces.

Scientists have installed antennas on drones and taught them to use touch to navigate around obstacles.

Scientist at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) developed Tiny tactile navigation system for drones weighing less than 100 grams. Cameras and lidars are bulky and don’t work well in smoke, dust and complete darkness, and are replaced by a pair of artificial “whiskers” that resemble rodent whiskers. This enables small drones to explore small spaces—from […]

New TU Delft Drone Uses Touch for Quieter, Longer Flights

A new drone developed by researchers at TU Delft in the Netherlands employs a tactile sensing system, allowing it to perch on branches using touch rather than vision. This approach seeks to enable quieter operation and extended battery life, addressing limitations of conventional drones. The device detects branch contact, ascertains orientation, adjusts its position, and grips it securely, mimicking avian landing behaviours.