Watch This Autonomous Drone Navigate a Cluttered Warehouse at 45 MPH
The future of self-piloting recon is here.
Today in badass speed demons we present this footage from DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy program, featuring a quadcopter drone burning up a warehouse and making hairpin turns at 45 mph.
The program is all about building a better autonomous drone — one capable of “sensing, perception, planning, and control” all without the benefit of a human operator or GPS waypoints. Given the way this quadcopter propels itself around the clutter of this warehouse, it looks like its sensors are working just fine.
For the gearheads out there, this particular drone is equipped with E600 motors on 12’’ propellers, a DJI Flamewheel f450 airframe, and a 3DR Pixhawk autopilot.
As the drones are deemed field-ready, to be sent on recon missions like room-by-room searches, or even travel up stairs, relaying a previously unheard-of level of information to the soldiers deploying them. Just hope that pirates don’t find a way to hack the designs.
