https://techxplore.com/ en-us Tech Xplore internet news portal provides the latest news on electronics, technology, and engineering. Intelligent drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are rapidly evolving from experimental prototypes into essential infrastructure across disaster response, health care delivery, agriculture, logistics, archaeology, environmental monitoring, and numerous other fields vital to human development, scientists say in new research. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-drone-technology-reshape-disaster-response.html Engineering Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:50:03 EST news688918894 Ice detection technology developed by researchers at the University of Toronto could speed up the de-icing process for aircraft and other aerospace vehicles, helping to prevent costly flight delays. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-lightweight-sensor-tech-toxic-aircraft.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:42:27 EST news688142521 An unmanned, oval-shaped craft from flying taxi maker EHang hovers, whirring noisily like a mini-helicopter over a riverside innovation zone on the outskirts of the southern Chinese business hub of Guangzhou, part of a trial of a mini-flying taxi that once might have been found only in sci-fi films. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-takeoff-china-flying-taxis-turbulence.html Hi Tech & Innovation Mon, 24 Nov 2025 04:22:49 EST news683180523 They perform spectacular shows at amusement parks and sporting events. They deliver medicine and help monitor security. They make great gifts. What are they? https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-drone-holidays.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:21:19 EST news682852862 Plumes of smoke drifted up from a fire steadily taking over a 30-acre prairie at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, north of the Twin Cities. Amid the haze, five black drones zipped around. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-drones-day-wildfires.html Engineering Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:31:12 EST news681381067 Don't be fooled by the fog machine, spooky lights and fake bats: the robotics lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute lab isn't hosting a Halloween party. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-tiny-drones-dark-stormy-conditions.html Robotics Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:06:01 EDT news681051953 Scientists at TU Delft, the Netherlands, have developed a new algorithm that allows multiple autonomous drones to work together to control and transport heavy payloads, even in windy conditions. Drones are ideal for reaching and maintaining hard-to-reach infrastructure, like offshore wind turbines. With often harsh weather, limited payload capacity and unpredictable contact with the environment, it is difficult for current drones to operate safely and effectively. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-algorithm-autonomous-drones-heavy-payloads.html Robotics Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:00:03 EDT news680954972 Disaster has just struck, roads are inaccessible, and people need shelter now. Rather than wait days for a rescue team, a fleet of AI-guided drones takes flight carrying materials and the ability to build shelters, reinforce infrastructure, and construct bridges to reconnect people with safety. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-ai-drones-3d-hard.html Engineering Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:40:01 EDT news680455879 Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are developing a drone with flapping wings that can locate and hover around a moving light like a moth to a flame. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-moth-drone-autonomously-ai.html Robotics Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:14:42 EDT news680429679 Fooled into following a hacker's rogue commands, a drone is liable to do any number of things. Fly erratically. Speed up. Slow down. Hang suspended in the air. Reverse course. Take a new course. And, most dangerously: Crash. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-shield-defense-drones-cyberattacks.html Engineering Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:00:05 EDT news679060701 Drones have become a more common sight in our skies and are used for everything from consumer hobbies like aerial photography to industrial applications such as farming, surveillance and logistics. However, they are not without their shortcomings, and one of those is landings. Almost half of all drone accidents occur when these uncrewed aerial vehicles attempt to touch down, especially in challenging environments or on fast-moving objects. But that could be a thing of the past as researchers have developed a system that can land smoothly on vehicles traveling at speed. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-friction-based-gear-enables-drones.html Robotics Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:00:03 EDT news679059452 A £150 billion technology prosperity deal between the US and the UK was announced during President Donald Trump's recent state visit to the UK. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-qa-usuk-tech-yield-significant.html Business Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:48:04 EDT news677767681 Uber Eats will soon be making some meal deliveries with drones. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-uber-drone-delivery-partnership-flytrex.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:10:01 EDT news677419596 They deliver packages, inspect power lines, patrol remote areas, find missing people and increasingly are deployed on the battlefield. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-college-lab-73b-startup-powers.html Business Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:41:19 EDT news676197674 Durham University scientists have unveiled a major advance in drone swarm technology that could transform the way unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in real-world missions. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-scientists-drone-swarm-technology.html Engineering Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:41:04 EDT news676190462 Skoltech and MSU scientists have uncovered the advantage gained by microscopic bugs from their feather-like wings that are unlike those of dragonflies, bees, mosquitoes and other familiar insects. A wing largely made up of bristles that stand somewhat apart from each other is lighter than the conventional membranous wing that comes in one piece. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-unusual-microbug-anatomy-shown-optimize.html Robotics Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:10:04 EDT news675682283 A new type of drone, inspired by the aerial precision of birds of prey, could one day navigate through dense city skyscrapers to deliver our packages or inspect hard-to-reach offshore wind farms, thanks to pioneering research from the University of Surrey. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-bird-drones-key-dense-cities.html Robotics Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:17:04 EDT news674997412 In June 2024, Ukraine shocked Russian forces with the surprise Operation Spiderweb, an unprecedented, coordinated drone strike deep inside Russian territory. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-high-tech-drones-warfare-terrorists.html Security Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:31:04 EDT news674227861 Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-delivery-drones.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:27:20 EDT news674216825 From a seed-inspired design to a 26-minute flight time on a single rotor, a new monocopter developed by SUTD researchers marks a 10-year journey towards redefining how efficient small flying robots can be. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-small-mighty-seed-monocopter-idea.html Robotics Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:20:12 EDT news673860006 New research published in npj Robotics addresses the challenge of flying small quadrotors in air ducts as small as 35 cm (14 inches). This research, led by a team of researchers from Inria, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, and Aix-Marseille Université, opens a new way of accessing and inspecting highly-confined environments. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-drones-fly-air-ducts.html Robotics Tue, 29 Jul 2025 11:42:38 EDT news673008152 The drone industry has landed after a long flight to the implementation of drone traffic management. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-drone-traffic-aims-midair-collisions.html Robotics Mon, 30 Jun 2025 15:50:20 EDT news670517411 In the critical 72 hours after an earthquake or explosion, a race against the clock begins to find survivors. After that window, the chances of survival drop sharply. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-robots-miniature.html Robotics Fri, 13 Jun 2025 13:32:43 EDT news669040344 An autonomous drone carrying water to help extinguish a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada might encounter swirling Santa Ana winds that threaten to push it off course. Rapidly adapting to these unknown disturbances inflight presents an enormous challenge for the drone's flight control system. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-ai-enabled-autonomous-drones-stay.html Robotics Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:00:01 EDT news668768087 Drones have harassed airports and bedeviled local police. They have trespassed over nuclear plants and prisons. On the battlefield, they can kill. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-nets-high-tech-hijackings-anti.html Engineering Tue, 27 May 2025 13:10:08 EDT news667569640 In the future, autonomous delivery drones could independently assess whether their remaining battery charge is sufficient for upcoming deliveries. A team of researchers from Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) and industry partner Ingeniarius Ltd, has developed a new method for energy-aware deployment planning. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-method-energy-aware-deployment-delivery.html Robotics Tue, 20 May 2025 16:00:51 EDT news666975647 France's armed forces are on schedule to develop battle-ready robots by 2040, according to participants in a test bringing together the military with engineers, researchers and defense contractors. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-french-army-combat-ready-robots.html Robotics Wed, 07 May 2025 11:50:00 EDT news665837396 Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have already proved to be valuable tools for a wide range of applications, ranging from film and entertainment production to defense and security, agriculture, logistics, construction and environmental monitoring. While these technologies are already widely used in many countries worldwide, engineers have been trying to enhance their capabilities further so that they can be used to tackle even more complex problems. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-flying-squirrel-drone-foldable-wings.html Robotics Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:30:01 EDT news665147825 A team of cyber-systems researchers, engineers, optical specialists and roboticists at Zhejiang University, in China, has developed a navigation system for quadcopter drones that gives them the ability to carry out precise flight maneuvers autonomously. As reported in the journal Science Robotics, the group developed a multi-pronged system that allows quadcopter drones to carry out complex aerobatic maneuvers autonomously, in a safe manner, both indoors and outdoors. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-quadcopter-drones-ability-precise-flight.html Robotics Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:50:01 EDT news664112776 For the first time, a drone has beaten human pilots in an international drone racing competition, marking a new milestone in the development of artificial intelligence. On Saturday April 14, 2025, two drone racing events took place simultaneously: The Falcon Cup Finals for human pilots and the A2RL Drone Championship for AI-powered, autonomous drones. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-autonomous-drone-defeats-human-champions.html Robotics Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:12:04 EDT news663955922