This Whisker-Equipped Drone Can Fly Without Cameras or GPS

A palm-sized drone can follow walls in complete darkness using artificial whiskers for obstacle sensing, while its tactile-navigation software uses just 34 kilobytes of RAM — less data than many low-resolution photos.

A 44.1-gram drone uses pressure-sensing artificial whiskers for wall following and tactile mapping, with its onboard autonomy occupying about 34 KB of additional RAM.

Researchers build a drone that navigates with physical whiskers to operate in dark, dusty or smoky places where cameras or GPS can fail — sub-100 gram drones run 34KB software to enable sub-millimeter precision

Whiskers attached to three pressure sensors at their base could help drones find their way around their environment purely through touch. This lightweight system emulates the vibrissae found on mice and other small mammals that help them navigate in the dark.

This Whisker-Equipped Drone Can Fly Without Cameras or GPS

Tiny drones may soon be able to navigate through darkness, smoke and dust by using artificial whiskers inspired by rats and mice. Rodents can move confidently through underground burrows, caves, sewers and dark buildings. Their whiskers allow them to sense nearby surfaces and obstacles even when they cannot see. Researchers at Delft University of Technology […]