Drone Technology for Low-Visibility Conditions

Most drones are built around vision: cameras and heavy compute drive how they navigate.   Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute took a different approach.   They built a palm-sized drone that uses sound—emitting ultrasonic signals and reading echoes to move through space.   The advantage is simple: it works where vision breaks. Fog, smoke, low light, even total darkness.   It’s also lighter and more efficient, since it relies on fewer sensors and less compute.   If vision is unreliable, does sound become a standard layer in robotics?   #Robotics #AviationTechnology #DroneInnovation #AutonomousSystems #EngineeringResearch #ResearchAndDevelopment #DeepTech #SensorFusion #AIHardware #FutureOfEngineering

Neuromorphic cameras deliver ultra-fast vision in a wide range of light conditions—but there’s a catch. In highly dynamic environments, they generate massive data streams that require power-hungry GPUs (>100W). That makes them impractical for lightweight drones with small payload. We describe a method that enables neuromorphic cameras to run on low-power embedded systems (e.g., Raspberry Pi), and we demonstrate real-time altitude control and landing of a winged drone using optic flow—in both bright and dark conditions. Open Access article: https://lnkd.in/ePAZGhGK By Simon Jeger, Alessandro Marchei, Charbel Toumieh

✨✨✨ NEW Journal: "𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧".   The state of the art in #aerial #manipulation has focused for the longest time on improving accurate(!) #force #tracking at the end-effector to deliver safe performance. Traditionally, this was treated as a control theory problem, where acceptable solutions in lab conditions were proposed. BUT the real challenge lies ahead: 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚-𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬? 💡 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝘀 𝗡𝗘𝗪? In our new journal article we introduce: 1) a new #method to get comprehensive information on the force vector during contact tasks, without employing expensive 6-axes force sensors on the drone. 2) a new #application where drones leverage touch not just as a manipulation tool, but as a means of navigating around unknown contours and surfaces, all without prior knowledge of their surroundings. 𝐇𝐎𝐖? We devise a human-like compliant finger actuated by tendons and map the local tendon deformations into control actions on the drone. This time - for the first time - we are able to infer complete #force #direction through mechanical compliance, counteracting both #pitch and #yaw disturbances, #online, during sliding tasks. 𝗪𝗛𝗬? The goal here is to "blindly" navigate unknown contours of different shape and inclination, without any a-priori information. Akin to humans finding a light switch in a dark room, sliding their hand on the wall until the switch is found 🖐💡 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁. This work paves the way towards tactile flight, opening new doors for drone operations in low-visibility environments -- from search-and-rescue missions to exploration in unstructured terrains.   👏 Congratulations to PhD candidate Anton Bredenbeck who conducted the work, and co-author Cosimo Della Santina. IEEE RA-L: https://lnkd.in/ediHT2gw Pre-Print: https://lnkd.in/eCNiqpEp Video: https://lnkd.in/eydANm5C Project page: https://lnkd.in/eH67dAuX TU Delft | Aerospace Engineering

𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗔𝗩𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗔𝗥 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘀 — 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 📡 Open reporting says Ukrainian drones will receive reconnaissance synthetic aperture radar (SAR) from the French company Harmattan AI — enabling intelligence collection through clouds and fog. #Ukraine 🧩 This matters because SAR is not “better optics”. It changes the game in the exact conditions where ISR usually degrades: low visibility, smoke, haze, and night. In an attritional war, that means fewer weather-driven pauses and fewer “safe” windows for movement and concealment. #DroneWarfare 🛡️ The operational edge is persistence: SAR can support wide-area search, detect changes over time, and help cue follow-on sensors and effects even when electro-optical systems struggle. That’s how you convert reconnaissance into tempo. #ISR 🏭 There’s also a European industrial signal here: this is what battlefield feedback loops are starting to look like at scale — Ukrainian operational demand pulling in Western sensor innovation, then pushing it back into a rapidly iterating UAV ecosystem. #DefenceIndustry ℹ️ The strongest indicator is not the headline, but the direction: weather-independent sensing is becoming standard kit for contested airspace, not a niche capability. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.

NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have established a research transition team to guide the development of wildland fire technology. Wildland fires are occurring more frequently and at a larger scale than in past decades, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Emergency responders will need a broader set of technologies to prevent, monitor, and fight these growing fires more effectively. Under this Wildland Fire Airspace Operations research transition team, NASA and the FAA will develop concepts and test new technologies to improve airspace integration. Current aerial firefighting operations are limited to times when aircraft have clear visibility – otherwise pilots run the risk of flying into terrain or colliding with other aircraft. Drones could overcome this limitation by enabling responders to remotely monitor and suppress these fires during nighttime and low visibility conditions, such as periods of heavy smoke. However, advanced airspace management technologies are needed to enable these uncrewed aircraft to stay safely separated and allow aircraft operators to maintain situational awareness during wildland fire management response operations. Over the next four years, NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project, in collaboration with the FAA, will work to develop new airspace access and traffic management concepts and technologies to support wildland fire operations. These advancements will help inform a concept of operations for the future of wildland fire management under development by NASA and other government agencies. The team will test and validate uncrewed aircraft technologies for use by commercial industry and government agencies, paving the way for integrating them into future wildland fire operations. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gGZ4qDSa #NASA #FAA #ACERO Artist’s rendering of remotely piloted aircraft providing fire suppression, monitoring and communications capabilities during a wildland fire. (NASA)

How drones increase the effectiveness of emergency response in Ukraine Peat fires are among the most complex types of wildfires. They spread underground, have hidden ignition points, and often appear localized while continuing to smolder across large areas. Traditional reconnaissance methods in these conditions are slow, risky, and rarely provide a complete operational picture. That’s exactly why the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) has begun using drones for peat fire reconnaissance in cooperation with DroneUA. 🔍 What drones change in this scenario: Thermal imaging reveals hidden underground hotspots Rapid aerial mapping delivers a full situational overview within minutes Rescue teams receive real-time data without entering high-risk zones Decisions on containment and deployment are made faster and with higher precision 📈 The result: Reduced risk to personnel Faster response times More efficient use of equipment and resources Higher operational control on site This is a clear example of drones working with people, not instead of them—amplifying the capabilities of emergency services in critical scenarios. A drone doesn’t extinguish a fire, but it provides what matters most in emergencies: data, speed, and safety. 💡 For me, this case reinforces a simple conclusion: drones are an infrastructure technology that must be integrated wherever the cost of error is human life or environmental damage. Not an experiment. Not the future. A working tool—already in use in Ukraine since 2015. #drones #emergencyresponse #technologyinuse #publicsafety #Ukraine #innovation #DSNS

India's First Silent Drone Set to Transform Surveillance and Disaster Response. Developed by Airbotix Technology, Gurgaon, this drone is the first of its kind in India, offering a silent, energy-efficient, and highly versatile aerial solution. Unlike traditional drones that rely on constant propulsion, this one stays airborne for over four hours using a unique combination of buoyancy and aerodynamics. What’s even more impressive? It operates silently, making it perfect for sensitive operations like forest monitoring, wildlife tracking, and border security. Recently unveiled during a NECTAR demo, this drone features both day and night vision cameras, along with thermal imaging, allowing it to function effectively even in low-visibility conditions. It has already caught the attention of CRPF officials, who see its potential for operations in challenging border zones. But its capabilities go beyond security. Conservationists are excited about its ability to monitor wildlife and assess forest health without disturbing delicate ecosystems. The drone also has exciting applications in disaster response, crowd monitoring, and traffic observation in urban areas. In a world that often prioritizes speed and spectacle, maybe it’s time we embraced technology that operates with precision and subtlety. #drone #tech