Birds do it. Bees do it. Can drones do it?

Nature can make our most advanced technology seem clunky and basic. Picture a drone attempting to navigate a pile of rubble during a search and rescue mission: it would likely bump in to a wall or two along the way, even if it were supervised by a human pilot. In the same setting, an insect would gracefully swoop past obstacles in order to reach its destination. A research group at the University of Queensland, Australia, is studying the flying techniques of birds and bees in order to develop new navigation systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Engineers have spent years perfecting advanced sensors, radar, and GPS systems that help drones identify and reach their targets.