Autonomous aerial robotics investigates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related platforms that can sense, decide, and act with minimal human intervention in complex environments. Work in this area spans bio‑inspired airframes and control, multi-sensor and quantum-enhanced navigation in GNSS-denied settings, collaborative swarming and human–AI teaming, and mission-specific systems for search and rescue, disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and precision strike. The field integrates machine learning, optimization, and robust control with communication, cybersecurity, and counter‑drone technologies to ensure reliable, safe operation under uncertainty and interference.
Robotics
In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) could fly through a collapsed building to map the scene, giving rescuers information they need to quickly reach survivors. But this remains an ...
May 19, 2026
0
14
Automotive
Drones are becoming increasingly common in densely populated urban centers, supporting applications ranging from parcel delivery to surveillance. However, their growing presence has introduced significant challenges related ...
May 18, 2026
0
6
Robotics
It sounds like science fiction, but also strangely familiar: drones buzzing around, inspecting tomatoes in greenhouses, delivering your package or inspecting an industrial site. With all the talk about drone-swarms, development ...
May 13, 2026
0
26
Software
Sophisticated new flight simulation software capable of accurately modeling the performance of firefighting helicopters could help train pilots to tackle wildfires more effectively in the future. Researchers from the University ...
May 11, 2026
0
7
Automotive
In managing airport traffic, small errors can cause catastrophe. A group from the CMU Robotics Institute's AirLab used the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's Bridges-2 supercomputer to create World2Rules, an AI that draws ...
May 8, 2026
0
11
Security
In a world where cell phones and cars guide us everywhere, we've come to trust global positioning as much as we trust our own senses. What happens when that trust is broken?
May 3, 2026
0
23
Engineering
Traffic jams are a problem in large urban areas. How can they be solved without expanding the road network? This is a challenge that researchers are attempting to address.
Apr 27, 2026
0
3
Robotics
Operations underground, for example in underground stations, tunnels or mines, are risky and difficult for rescue teams. This is especially true if the technical infrastructure has collapsed due to explosions or fire, and ...
Apr 23, 2026
0
4
Engineering
Researchers at the University of Florida are developing artificial intelligence models to pinpoint early signs of sinkholes before they appear. "I'm always looking for real-world problems," said Minhee Kim, Ph.D., an assistant ...
Apr 9, 2026
0
7
Machine learning & AI
A Pentagon AI program called Project Maven is at the center of the US strikes against Iran and potentially one of the most consequential transformations of modern warfare.
Apr 5, 2026
0
17
