Researchers from the Department of Biology at the Lund University (LU) in Sweden have been working on a new system that will enable flying robots or drone technologies to navigate through complicated environments on their own.

The new system was inspired by the researchers' study on how insects such as bees use light to navigate through dense forests and vegetation. An example of bees that use this kind of navigation technique, according to the researchers, is the green orchid bee also known as the dilemma orchid bee (Euglossa dilemma) from Central America.

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The green orchid bee has the ability to evaluate the intensity of light, so that it can navigate and penetrate through holes in leaves. By evaluating light, the bee can know whether the holes are large enough for it to pass through while avoiding collisions.

Vision researcher Emily Baird from the Department of Biology at the university said, "The system is so simple -- it's highly likely that other animals also use light in this way. The system is ideal for adapting to small, light-weight robots, such as drones. My guess is that this will become a reality within five to ten years," According to the research, in order for the system to become a reality, the results first need to be converted into "mathematical models" which will make it possible for drones to navigate complex obstacles independently.

"Using light to navigate in complex environments is a universal strategy that can be applied by both animals and machines to detect openings and get through them safely." Baird added. "Really, the coolest thing is the fact that insects have developed simple strategies to cope with difficult problems for which engineers have still to come up with a solution,"

Today, drone technologies are already becoming more and more intelligent. DJI, the world's leader in camera drone vehicles, recently launched the Phantom 4 smart camera drone which comes with an automatic obstacle avoidance feature, among many other sophisticated capabilities. The Phantom 4 is also capable of tracking moving subjects using the "ActiveTrack" feature.

TagsInsect Vision Eyes Drone System Technology Navigation, Drone Navigation Green Orchid Bees, Drone Technology News