Drones
Keep up to date with the latest commercial and civilian applications of unmanned aircraft – from autonomous sky-faring taxis to swarms of battlefield-ready flying robots.
Latest News
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Electrostatic propulsion powers all-day flight for solar drone
July 19, 2024Scientists have engineered a micro-aerial vehicle that has the potential to fly indefinitely in sunlight, using an electrostatic motor to power its ultra-lightweight unit. Until now, these tiny drones have been limited to around 30 minutes of airtime. -
Record-setting drone utilizes ant-inspired smarts to make its way home
July 18, 2024Tiny aerial drones have many potential uses, but their ability to navigate is severely limited by their minuscule amount of onboard processing power. Scientists have now set about addressing that limitation, taking a cue from foraging insects such as ants. -
Curve-nosed UAV crashes into trees, then wraps its wings around to perch
July 16, 2024Taking cues from geckos, EPFL researchers have developed an unmanned aerial vehicle with an upturned nose that crashes into vertical poles, and then wraps its wings around to perch. The PercHug could find use in inspection and surveillance tasks. -
Mighty morphin' power drone uses flexy arms to squeeze through gaps
June 25, 2024Quadcopters may be agile but they're also relatively wide and delicate, limiting their potential uses. The Morphy drone addresses these drawbacks with flexible propeller arms which allow it to basically just "squish" its way through narrow spaces. -
Seed-like 'monocopter' changes its wingspan for agility and efficiency
June 07, 2024Multirotor drones may get all the glory, but fully rotating "monocopters" are much more energy-efficient. A new one distinguishes itself further, as it can squeeze through narrow spaces or drop like a falcon by reducing its wingspan while in flight. -
Responder drone gets eyes on emergencies – and can even take action
May 27, 2024Wouldn't it be neat to see a drone using flashing lights and a siren to chase down crooks? Well, the Responder quadcopter comes equipped with both, along with other gear designed to help quicken response times when crimes or other emergencies occur. -
Video: World's fastest quadcopter smashes Guinness speed record
May 14, 2024Last year, a mechanical engineer set a Guinness World Record for the fastest battery-powered RC quadcopter, which was clocked at 224 mph. Now that record has been smashed by a custom-made drone that clocked nearly 300 mph. -
Hybrid rescue drone flies out to swimmers and becomes a lifebuoy
April 29, 2024Could you throw a lifebuoy all the way out to a distressed swimmer located one kilometer away? Nope, you couldn't … but you could fly one out to them, in the form of the TY-3R Flying Lifebuoy drone. -
Solar-cell-packin' drone uses sunlight for on-the-spot recharging
April 19, 2024Multirotor drones may one day be able recharge their batteries while out and about, instead of having to return to a charging station. They could do so via onboard ultra-thin solar cells, which have already been tested on a small quadcopter. -
Video: Ultra-efficient flying pogo robot bounces around on its tail
April 12, 2024It might look hilarious in motion, but this remarkable aerial drone extends its battery life from a few minutes up to a full hour by bouncing around on a springy pogo tail. That incredible efficiency makes it attractive for a wide range of missions. -
Video: Deformable ring drone morphs into a rolling wheel to boost runtime
April 08, 2024A new experimental drone can fly in the air as needed, then morph into a motorized wheel and roll on the ground to save energy. It could one day find use in applications such as searching disaster sites for victims trapped in the rubble. -
Video: Crafty quadcopter sits on power lines to recharge
April 05, 2024Battery life wouldn't be an issue for drones if they could just recharge on power lines as needed. That's exactly what an experimental new quadcopter can now do, allowing it to stay aloft pretty much indefinitely. -
Streamlined "submersible quadcopter" is an underwater inspector gadget
March 19, 2024The Chasing X brings a new form factor to mini ROVs, looking a bit like a submersible quadcopter. It's designed mainly for the underwater inspection of things like ship hulls and aquaculture operations, although it can also grab stuff if need be. -
"Flying milk can" drones to start drop-delivering food in Sweden
March 18, 2024People living in part of Sweden will soon be receiving food deliveries by drone. The service, which utilizes multicopters that look rather like old-timey milk transportation cans, may subsequently be introduced throughout the country and beyond. -
Mosquito-spreading drones could slash the spread of disease
February 23, 2024If you're trying to disperse 300,000 disease-fighting mosquitos per day, using a drone may well be your best bet for doing so. The technology has already been tested in Brazil, where it showed very promising results.
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