Aviation chiefs have urged people to fly drones safely to protect low-flying air ambulances, which are expected to make around 1,000 lifesaving missions during the festive period. Jonathan Nicholson, the assistant director of communications, at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), asked drone users to fly safely and remain alert for low-flying air ambulances. With thousands of drones expected to be given as presents this Christmas, Mr Nicholson said: 'With more than 400,000 registered drone owners across the UK, and more expected to be added during the festive period as people receive new drones for Christmas, we're asking all drone users to fly safely and to especially be on the lookout for low-flying helicopters. There have been close to 500 close calls between drones and aircraft in the past ten years, with up to 125 in a single year. Air ambulances often fly below the 400ft maximum height for drone flying.

Penguins may not be able to fly in real life, but a robotic replica soars through the air with surprising grace. Researchers at Festo have unveiled a menagerie of flying robots, including the eMotionButterfly, AirJelly, and AirPenguin. A mesmerizing video of the demonstration reveals the lightweight insect-like devices can even'talk' to each other to avoid mid-air collisions when flying in a swarm. Penguins may not be able to fly in real life, but a new robotic replica soars through the air with surprising grace. The footage comes from a demonstration this past summer for IEEE Spectrum, published this month to YouTube.

With the rise of drones and steadily increasing density of air-traffic, fears of collisions between both manned and unmanned craft have become far more urgent in recent years. But according to researchers, autopilot systems could learn a trick or two from nature to become much safer. In a new study, researchers in Australia investigated the ways in which pairs of budgerigars avoid collisions when flying head-on, revealing the birds always veer right to prevent a crash. In a new study, researchers in Australia investigated the ways in which pairs of budgerigars avoid collisions when flying head-on, revealing the birds always veer right to prevent a crash. In the study, the researchers observed 102 flights of 10 male budgies - but not one collision occurred.

"Really, we're building collision avoidance for industrial drones," said Alexander Harmsen, CEO and co-founder of Iris Automation. "We see this huge need for industrial drones for mining exploration, pipeline inspection, agricultural surveying, forestry, or even package delivery." Without a way to avoid mid-air collisions, drones risk crashing into a Cessna, a flock of geese or a 747. Worst case scenario: a drone gets sucked into a jet engine causing catastrophic engine failure as high-velocity bits of metal penetrate fuel tanks, hydraulic lines and the cabin. Iris Automation's solution is an AI computer that blends real-time images and 3D maps to track incoming objects.

"Really, we're building collision avoidance for industrial drones," said Alexander Harmsen, CEO and co-founder of Iris Automation. "We see this huge need for industrial drones for mining exploration, pipeline inspection, agricultural surveying, forestry, or even package delivery." Without a way to avoid mid-air collisions, drones risk crashing into a Cessna, a flock of geese or a 747. Worst case scenario: a drone gets sucked into a jet engine causing catastrophic engine failure as high-velocity bits of metal penetrate fuel tanks, hydraulic lines and the cabin. Iris Automation's solution is an AI computer that blends real-time images and 3D maps to track incoming objects.

The system uses an optical camera for detection, as well as "passive ranging features" to predict whether any nearby aircraft will cross its flight path. If there's a potential collision, it'll recommend the best evasive action that complies with air safety regulations. "This SAA system has the potential to enable a wide range of manned and unmanned systems to safely integrate into an increasingly populated and complex airspace," Dan Patt, a Program Manager at DARPA said. "What pilot wouldn't want to set a box on their dashboard that would provide an additional pair of eyes?" DARPA has been working on the project for two years now. Its next step is to shrink the hardware -- a shoebox is still a little large, especially for commercial drones -- continue testing and develop some "mature" features, such as the ability to detect aircraft below the horizon line.