Obstacle avoidance

Samsung is claiming a few world firsts with its latest robot vacuum cleaner. The Jet Bot AI+ is said to be the first to feature an active stereo-type 3D sensor for object detection, and the first equipped with Intel AI for object recognition.

Manufactured by Austrian startup Tec-Innovation, the InnoMake shoe uses ultrasound sensors to warn blind users of obstacles in their path. The footwear may soon become even more capable, though, thanks to integrated cameras.

While autonomous drones are now pretty good at avoiding large obstacles, thin suspended power lines can still pose a challenge. A new onboard sensing system, however, could change that.

Researchers have taken inspiration from a mosquito's ability to fly and land in the dark to develop a new collision-avoidance sensory system for drones that mimics the insect's ability to use airflow to detect obstacles.

In order for them to fly beyond line-of-sight of their users, drones have to be constantly "aware" of potential hazards surrounding them. That's where the Casia 360 system comes in, as it's designed to give 360-degree vision to existing drones.

Obstacle avoidance is crucial for drones, but most systems aren’t fast enough for some situations. Now engineers at the University of Zurich have developed a new system that gives drones such fast reflexes that they can play – and win at – dodgeball.

Autonomous robots have made their way to the factory floor and busy warehouse, and are even greeting customers at some hotels. But few are out in the wild. And it's the wild that's the source of inspiration for a new breed of bots that can build structures to overcome obstacles.​

Our experiences with so-called self-flying drones so far have fallen a little short of the promised entirely handsfree form of fantastical film-making, but if the demo footage that accompanies the newly announced Skydio R1to go by, that could soon change. ​​

Parrot's newly-announced S.L.A.M.dunk is a development kit for drones equipped with hardware that suggests a particular focus on obstacle avoidance and navigation, but doubles as a desktop computer as well. ​

After taking out last year's Drones for Good Competition, the crash-proof Gimball drone's real-world durability and potential as a life-saving​ search and rescue aid have been put to the test in deep the crevasses of the Swiss Alps.​

Among the many computer scientists working on crash avoidance systems for drones is a team of MIT researchers, who have developed route-planning software that allows the aircraft to make intricate turns to autonomously navigate tight spaces. ​​

Let's cast our eye over the more promising drone applications to emerge in 2015 – a diverse list that includes everything from drones that deliver medical supplies to drones that can build bridges all by themselves. ​