New Atlas

Materials Audio available

Spider hair-inspired sensors could give drones a "spidey-sense"

Michael Irving May 20, 2019

Spider-Man's "spidey-sense" isn't purely fiction – spiders have tiny, sensitive hairs on their legs that help them avoid predators or hunt prey. And now, engineers at Purdue University have developed similar sensors for autonomous cars or drones.

Electronics Audio available

New matchbox-sized radar could make its way into drones and security systems

David Nield April 23, 2019

The smaller and lighter electronics get, the more ways they can be used. A team of researchers has come up with a compact radar system the size of a matchbox that could be deployed in drones and other gadgets where portability and low cost are important.

The compact device uses a frequency-modulated continuous wave type of radar, producing continuous pulses of radio ...

Drones Audio available

Rega air rescue drone can autonomously search for missing persons

David Nield April 16, 2019

We've seen autonomous aircraft doing everything from spraying crops to surveying wildlife, and now the Swiss air rescue organization Rega has announced a drone that's capable of searching for and finding missing people all on its own.

The Rega drone can spot signs of missing people and alert rescue teams on the ground

Drones

Skypixel's awe-inspiring top drone photos of the year

Rich Haridy March 25, 2019

Skypixel’s 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest winners have just been revealed offering an incredible array of spectacular drone videos and photographs. The overall grand prize went to a truly stunning shot of French island monastery, Mont Saint Michel, shrouded in the wisps of an early morning fog.

Another Nominated Entry prize winner, several skiers walk the summit of Mont Blanc before skiing down ...

Aircraft Audio available

ADIFO: The hyper-agile, omnidirectional, supersonic flying saucer

Loz Blain March 25, 2019

At low speed, it operates like a quadcopter, at high speed, it's a jet-propelled, highly efficient supersonic aircraft whose entire body acts as a low-drag wing. This Romanian flying saucer is claimed to offer unprecedented aerial agility across a broad range of speeds.

ADIFO could resurrect the idea of flying saucers, promising extreme speed, efficiency and aerial agility

Drones Review

Review: Hands-free flight with EEGSmart's mind-controlled UDrone

Loz Blain March 7, 2019

How much better could drones be if you got rid of fiddly hand controllers and flew them with your mind? That's the question EEGSmart asks with this quad, which responds to brainwaves and head movements instead of thumbsticks. It's not perfect, but it gives a glimpse of a mind-controlled future.

The UDrone uses hands-free "mind controls" via a sensor-heavy headset

Aircraft Audio available

Intelligent Energy claims new endurance record for hydrogen-powered multicopters

Loz Blain January 10, 2019

This fuel cell-powered coaxial octacopter just stayed aloft for 70 minutes of continuous flight, while carrying a 5kg (11-pound) weight. The record demonstrates the flight endurance capabilities of hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.

Intelligent Energy's drone, powered by 6 liters of compressed hydrogen and a fuel cell, flew for ...

Drones

DJI's smart new drone controller sports a built-in, HD, ultra-bright screen

Michael Irving January 9, 2019

DJI’s controllers normally need a phone or tablet, but that can be a drain on your battery, fiddly to set up and hard to see in the bright light of day. At CES this week, the company has unveiled a new controller with its own display built in, designed for use in direct sunlight.

DJi has unveiled a new Smart Controller with a built-in display

Children

Robots, drones and AR: The best tech toys of 2018

Michael Irving December 13, 2018

Toys today include robots, drones and AR, and if you’re lucky you can trick the kids into learning some useful skills along the way. New Atlas rounds up the best tech toys of 2018, which could make for some great last-minute gift ideas for the young’un in your life.

New Atlas rounds up the best tech toys of 2018

Electronics Audio available

Swarms of bionic bees could monitor farms with electronic backpacks

Michael Irving December 11, 2018

Our drones are pretty handy, but nature’s drones – bees – are far more efficient. Rather than building our own from scratch, researchers at the University of Washington have created tiny suites of sensors that bees can wear like backpacks, to help gather data from their environment.

Researchers have fitted bees with electronic backpacks that can sense their surroundings and collect data