DARPA recently tested three drones for its Fast Lightweight Autonomy program. The goal was a sensor laden quadcopter that could fly autonomously with a tartget speed of 20 meters a second. The three that flew threw a through a cluttered hangar in Massachusetts were deemed a success. According to a release from DARPA the aim of the program is to "develop and test algorithms … [Read more...] about DARPA’S Autonomous Drone Hits 45mph
DARPA
Cambridge Researchers to Develop Insect Drones
Two Cambridge groups have been awarded a $3.4 million grant to develop insect drones: tiny, autonomous, and fast-flying drones that mimic the flight capabilities of birds and insects. Draper, Inc. and MIT researcher Nicholas Roy have been granted the funds by DARPA as part of the "Fast, Lightweight, Autonomy" (FLA) program. The two teams will collaborate on the … [Read more...] about Cambridge Researchers to Develop Insect Drones
“Vampire Drones” that Disappear in Daylight
Sometimes new technology sounds far stranger than fiction. The US government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a solicitation for the development of single-use drones that will disappear in daylight after delivering their payload. While the Internet has quickly named the potential system a "vampire drone," DARPA takes a more classical approach, … [Read more...] about “Vampire Drones” that Disappear in Daylight
DARPA Project Could Lead to Thinking Drones
The drones are learning. A recent DARPA project that piggybacks a “neuromorphic chip” atop a minidrone shows promise in developing computer chips that may someday be able to learn much in the way the human does. UAV manufacturer Aerovironment provided a small drone (six-inches square, 1.5 inches high and weighing 93 grams) to HRL Laboratories' Center for Neural and … [Read more...] about DARPA Project Could Lead to Thinking Drones
DARPA Taps Companies to Make a Reusable UAV
em>from m.bizjournals.com What if government had access to a reusable unmanned vehicle to provide regular access to space and deploy small satellites to orbit? Three defense contractors have been tasked with making it happen. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded three preliminary contracts worth about $4 million apiece to The Boeing Co., Northrop … [Read more...] about DARPA Taps Companies to Make a Reusable UAV
