Engineers study owls to design fixed-wing drones that weave through skyscrapers and inspect offshore wind turbines with precision.
Drones have become vital tools for deliveries, inspections, and emergency response. Yet their designs remain split between two extremes. Rotary-wing drones, like quadcopters, are agile but drain energy quickly.
Fixed-wing drones fly farther on less power but lack the agility needed for crowded airspace or turbulent winds. This trade-off has left a gap for engineers seeking drones that combine endurance and precision.Engineers at the University of Surrey want to close that gap. By studying the precision of birds of prey, they are developing fixed-wing drones that could one day deliver packages through skyscrapers or easily inspect offshore wind farms.The project, called ‘Learning2Fly,’ looks at how owls and other precision flyers navigate tight spaces. Researchers believe similar manoeuvres could allow fixed-wing drones to perch, weave through cluttered airspace, and stay stable in unpredictable winds.Dr Olaf Marxen, Senior Lecturer at Surrey, said: “Nature has already solved many of the challenges we face in drone flight. Birds of prey can perform incredibly precise manoeuvres in complex environments, and we’re using those lessons to make fixed-wing drones smarter, more agile and better suited to cities with tall buildings or rapidly changing wind conditions.”He added that the team is combining experimental flight data with machine learning to help drones predict and control motion in real time. “Traditional simulations such as computational fluid dynamics fall short in turbulent environments and are prohibitively expensive, so our next step is refining the predictive model and testing outdoors,” he said.From lab tests to outdoorsInstead of relying only on computer models, researchers are carrying out real-world experiments. Surrey’s motion capture lab tracks lightweight prototypes adapted from toy planes. Onboard sensors and high-speed cameras record their flight in three dimensions. The team then feeds this data into a machine learning model that can anticipate drone behaviour without expensive aerodynamic simulations.The process allows researchers to see exactly how the drones respond to sudden shifts in air or obstacles. Each test builds a richer dataset, making the predictive model smarter and more reliable. Over time, this experimental approach should help overcome one of the biggest challenges in drone development: preparing aircraft for the unpredictable complexity of real environments.The approach aims to balance efficiency with agility. If successful, the drones could handle cluttered urban environments while maintaining the range and endurance of fixed-wing aircraft.Toward real-world deploymentEarly results show promise. “We’ve already presented some of our early findings, and it’s exciting to see how well the drone performs even at this stage,” said Owen Wastell, a PhD student and project co-lead.He added: “It’s humbling that in an era of advanced machines and technology, we’re still looking to the natural world – and one of the oldest living species on the planet – for inspiration.”The next stage is to take the experiments outdoors. Researchers hope these trials will prove the drones can adapt to wind shifts, turbulence, and moving obstacles. Success would pave the way for a new generation of agile, efficient drones that can handle both crowded cityscapes and remote offshore missions.With ‘Learning2Fly,’ Surrey engineers aim to bridge the gap between endurance and agility, bringing drones closer to the versatility of birds in flight.
Drone Agility Drones Fixed-Wing Drones Learning2fly Machine Learning Owl Flight Uavs University Of Surrey
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump administration axes plans to kill invasive owls in Mendocino, Sonoma countiesThe Trump administration appears to be backing away from a controversial Biden-era plan to protect the spotted owl by killing another competitive owl by the hundreds of thousands.
Read more »
Trump administration axes plans to kill invasive owls in Mendocino, Sonoma countiesThe Trump administration appears to be backing away from a controversial Biden-era plan to protect the spotted owl by killing another competitive owl by the hundreds of thousands.
Read more »
The Owl and the JazzmanJazz trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire has a recurring theme in his music: owls. In December 2023, he released the Grammy Award-nominated Owl Ambrose Akinmusire has a thing for his spirit animal
Read more »
Anaconda, Montana Shooting Updates: Multiple Victims, Suspect Remains at LargeThe town of Anaconda, Montana, is on lockdown after a reported shooting at the Owl Bar.
Read more »
Meta picks Pimco, Blue Owl for $29 billion data center dealMeta Platforms Inc. has selected Pacific Investment Management Co. and Blue Owl Capital Inc. to lead a $29 billion financing for its data center expansion in rural Louisiana as the race for artific…
Read more »
Owl caused power outage at Ribault High School, JEA saysTwo Duval County public schools that got an overhaul opened to students for the first time on Monday.
Read more »