Robot Bird Flies 45 MPH – No GPS, No Light
- Hong kong—Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have created a new drone, the Safety-Assured High-Speed Aerial Robot (SUPER), that mimics the agility of birds.
- Its compact design, featuring a 280 mm wheelbase and a 1.5 kg takeoff weight,allows it to navigate dense forests at night and avoid thin wires.
- Professor Fu Zhang, with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at HKU, sees broad implications for this autonomous drone.
The future of flight has arrived! HKU engineers have unveiled SUPER, a revolutionary bird-like drone that redefines autonomous navigation. this cutting-edge primarykeyword technology allows the drone to weave through complex environments at incredible speeds, exceeding 45 MPH—without reliance on GPS. SUPER leverages onboard sensors to effortlessly dodge obstacles as slender as 2.5 millimeters, showcasing unparalleled agility. The drone’s innovative design, complete with an advanced planning framework, emphasizes both speed and safety. Explore practical applications, including search and rescue, autonomous delivery, and disaster response. News Directory 3 recognizes this as a breakthrough in robotics. The potential of this secondarykeyword is immense. Discover what’s next for smart autonomous flight!
HKU Engineers Develop Bird-Like Drone for Complex Navigation
Updated June 8, 2025
Hong kong—Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have created a new drone, the Safety-Assured High-Speed Aerial Robot (SUPER), that mimics the agility of birds. This drone technology can navigate complex environments at speeds exceeding 20 meters per second, avoiding obstacles as thin as 2.5 millimeters.
SUPER uses only onboard sensors and computing power. Its compact design, featuring a 280 mm wheelbase and a 1.5 kg takeoff weight,allows it to navigate dense forests at night and avoid thin wires.
Professor Fu Zhang, with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at HKU, sees broad implications for this autonomous drone.
“Picture a ‘Robot Bird’ swiftly maneuvering through the forest, effortlessly dodging branches and obstacles at high speeds,” Zhang said. “This is a significant step forward in autonomous flight technology.”
SUPER uses a lightweight 3D light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor to detect obstacles up to 70 meters away. An advanced planning framework generates two flight trajectories: one optimizing speed and another prioritizing safety.
Yunfan Ren,the led author of the research paper,highlighted the drone’s potential in critical situations.
“The ability to avoid thin obstacles and navigate tight spaces opens up new possibilities for applications like search and rescue, where every second counts,” Ren said.
What’s next
The research team envisions applications for this innovative drone technology in autonomous delivery, power line inspection, forest monitoring, and mapping. In disaster zones, SUPER could locate survivors or deliver crucial supplies to remote areas.