- Lidar helps super to discover and avoid even the thinnest obstacles
- The drone can trace moving targets in dense forests
- Super’s spatial mapping in real time allows it to function effectively even under low light conditions
A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong has designed and tested an advanced trachea that is capable of navigating complex environments at high speeds up to 20 meters per second while maintaining precise control.
Named Super uses the Quadcopter drone groundbreaking Lidar technology to detect and avoid obstacles, even thin wires that have presented challenges for traditional drones.
In research published about Science Robotics (via Techxplore), the team noticed, while Super has potential uses in search and rescue, its ability to operate autonomously in unknown environments suggesting that it could also be used for law enforcement and military reconnaissance.
Lidar’s power for precision flight
Unlike conventional air robots that depend on cameras and sensors, the Super 3D Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) use to map its surroundings and process spatial data in real time so they can work under low light conditions.
With a detection area of up to 70 meters of food the Lidar system Data to a on board computer that continuously analyzes the environment.
This system allows you to map two different flights, a priority of safety and another that allows for exploration movement.
To demonstrate its capabilities, the research team tested super against a commercial drone, DJI Mavic 3.
While the DJI model avoided major obstacles, it struggled to detect thin wires with smaller diameters. In contrast, Super successfully avoided all obstacles, including 2.5 mm thin wires, thanks to its high resolution point cloud treatment.
The test result also reveals that the drone slid through dense forests and tracks moving targets without colliding with trees or branches.
