The next generation of unmanned drones will act more like birds than machines, thanks to new study by researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne and ISAE-Supaéro in Toulouse. The study includes experiments with drones that can sense wind gusts and thermals, then use them to gain speed or altitude, just like birds do. Dr Abdulghani Mohamed, who leads a large research program into bio-inspired technology in RMIT's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) research team, said the world-first project had exceeded expectations. "The results of our gust soaring system were remarkable and represent a big leap in energy harvesting for drones," Mohamed said. "This technology not only allows a drone to gain kinetic energy to fly faster but also means less work and more efficiency for the propulsion system, potentially enabling the next generation of drones to increase their flight time on limited resources."

February 3, 2017 --The dark knight could be getting a gear upgrade, thanks to a three-person robotics team. Anyone who's seen bats wheeling and swooping at dusk as they hunt for insects knows their unparalleled maneuverability. This fact hasn't escaped the notice of roboticists, who frequently take inspiration from natural sources, but bat-wing complexity has proved challenging to mimic. On Wednesday, a team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the California Institute of Technology published a paper outlining the construction of one of the most bat-like flying robots yet. Bats put birds to shame in terms of agility and efficiency, say the researchers.