SUPERb: Chinese researchers just designed and built a flying robot that looks like a precursor to Matrix's laser-focused Sentinels

Date:
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:49:00 +0000

Description:
Researchers in Hong Kong develop a high-speed aerial robot with advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities

FULL STORY

A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong has designed and tested
an advanced aerial robot capable of navigating complex environments at high speeds of up to 20 meters per second while maintaining precise control.

Named SUPER, the quadcopter drone uses cutting-edge LiDAR technology to
detect and avoid obstacles, even thin wires that have posed challenges for traditional drones.

In research published on Science Robotics (via Techxplore ), the team noted while SUPER has potential applications in search and rescue, its ability to operate autonomously in unknown environments suggests it could also be used
for law enforcement and military reconnaissance.

The power of LiDAR for precision flight

Unlike conventional aerial robots that rely on cameras and sensors, SUPER
uses 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to map its surroundings and
process spatial data in real time, allowing it to function in low-light conditions.

With a detection range of up to 70 meters, the LiDAR system feeds data to an onboard computer that continuously analyzes the environment.

This system enables SUPER to chart two distinct flight paths, one
prioritizing safety and another allowing for exploratory movement.

To demonstrate its capabilities, the research team tested SUPER against a commercial drone, the DJI Mavic 3 .

While the DJI model avoided larger obstacles, it struggled to detect thin
wires of smaller diameters. In contrast, SUPER successfully avoided all obstacles, including 2.5-mm thin wires, thanks to its high-resolution point cloud processing.

The test result also reveals the drone glided through dense forests, tracking moving targets without colliding with trees or branches.

======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/superb-chinese-researchers-just-designed-and-bui lt-a-flying-robot-that-looks-like-a-precursor-to-matrixs-laser-focused-sentine ls

$$
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)