Bee-Inspired Algorithm Helps UAVs Detect the Horizon For Improved Aerobatics
An autopilot system modeled after honeybee flight is faster and more accurate than gyroscope-based programs, according to a new study. By imitating how honeybees sense their surroundings, aircraft can quickly determine which way is up and complete complex aerobatic maneuvers. Using hundreds of images of the sky and land, Australian researchers developed an algorithm that compares the blue sky to the red-green colors of the ground to determine the horizon. Then they outfitted a UAV with some low-resolution wide-angle cameras, so the aircraft could see 360 degrees of landscape while flying. Related ArticlesBees Solve Hard Computing Problems Faster Than Supercomputers The Case of the Mass Honeybee Killer Has a New Prime SuspectGerman Airports Using "Biodetective" Honeybees To Monitor Air QualityTagsScience, Rebecca Boyle, aerodynamics, algorithms, bees, honeybees, sophisticated autopilot, uavs, visual algorithmsThey took the UAV to a field and made it fly a barrel roll, a full loop and an Immelmann turn,...