Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed small drones inspired by bats, designed to assist search and rescue missions.
Drone technology is being programmed to operate effectively in challenging environments, such as darkness, smoke, or storms, helping search and rescue teams in the mission to save lives after disasters.
According to Nitin Sanket, assistant professor of robotics engineering, the urgency in developing these drones comes from disaster scenarios like earthquakes and tsunamis, where power outages often occur at night.
For the project, the scientists drew inspiration from nature. In this case, bats were used as a reference for the drones, which are so compact they fit in the palm of a hand and use a small ultrasonic sensor to navigate their environment.
Their potential applications have already been demonstrated in recent emergencies. In Pakistan, for example, drones were crucial in locating stranded people during severe floods, while in California, a rescue team successfully used drone technology to find a man trapped behind a waterfall.
However, the WPI drones are not autonomous and must be operated individually, which is a limitation acknowledged by Sanket and his colleagues. A significant advance in this area would involve developing autonomous drone swarms capable of making their own decisions regarding search tactics.
Ryan Williams, associate professor at Virginia Tech, emphasized that current autonomous deployment is virtually nonexistent. His research focuses on programming drones to coordinate search efforts with human rescue teams, using historical data to determine the likely behaviors of missing persons.
Therefore, the goals of Worcester Polytechnic Institute go beyond simple drone operation. The team aims to create drones that are lightweight, inexpensive, versatile, and as agile as bats, providing invaluable assistance in real-world rescue operations.
“Bats are amazing. We are far from what nature has achieved. But the goal is that one day in the future, we get there and they are useful for use in nature,” Sanket told AP News.
Photo: Worcester Polytechnic Institute | X @nitinjsanket. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
