Autonomous Drone

Most of the drones available today are controlled remotely by an operator, with minimal automation. But experts agree that, in the future, drones will be needed to perform much more sophisticated surveillance and inspection tasks – and that will require a much higher level of autonomy.

Autonomous flight is more difficult to achieve than autonomous driving, but a new autopilot system for drones was recently unveiled that utilizes a series of video cameras along with vision-processing software, allowing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to navigate through unfamiliar territory without operator intervention. The technology is so responsive that a plane with a two-foot wingspan is able to fly around a busy parking garage without crashing. The system also features a simpler user interface that replaces conventional “joystick” controllers. A smartphone-based “magic wand” enables a user to control the direction of flight simply by pointing their phone where they want the drone to go.

The developers don’t intend to manufacture drones but are planning to have the system ready for release sometime this year.