Locusts could hold the key to collision avoidance tech for robots, drones and self-driving cars

Drones, robots and self-driving cars could dodge accidents in future thanks to a new sensor inspired by the collision avoidance neurons of swarming locusts. Flying locusts travel in swarms of millions at 2–3 miles an hour -- but are capable of making evasive manoeuvres within just hundreds of milliseconds to avoid collisions. Researchers from the US have developed an electronic version of a special neuron, unique to locusts, that allows them to react rapidly without using much energy. Unlike current collision sensors for self-driving cars -- which tend to be bulky and heavy -- the insect-inspired detector is tiny and can respond in just two seconds. 'We are always looking for animals with unusual abilities, ones that do something better than humans,' said paper author and engineer Saptarshi Das of the Pennsylvania State University.