NASA's Safe2Ditch Lets Damaged Drones Land Safely

If the world is ever going to enjoy the upsides of a sky filled with drones, the unmanned aircraft must be able to behave at least as well as human pilots. They must know how to react to other aircraft coming right for them, how to manage sudden weather changes, and what to do when their vehicle goes haywire. That's why researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia have developed a system that can help with one slice of drone troubleshooting: enabling small UAVs to determine on their own when they're not working properly, and then find a safe place to land. Safe2Ditch, invented by Langley's Trish and Lou Glaab, is designed for fully autonomous aircraft without human pilots at the controls. It uses software algorithms to detect battery or motor problems, control-surface or structural failures, or even shifting cargo that can disrupt the aircraft's balance.