Transportation & Automation

Secrets of Highly Efficient Swimming Uncovered for Design of Next-Generation Underwater Drones

Fish are thought to adjust their tail stiffness in order to swim efficiently over a wide range of speeds, but how and when they tune the amount of stiffness has been a mystery. A model created by University of Virginia School of Engineering researchers that combines robotics, fluid dynamics and biomechanics has revealed the...

New Algorithm Trains Drones to Fly Around Obstacles at High Speeds

If you keep up with independent drone auto racing, you likely think about the accidents as much as the victories. In drone racing, groups compete to see which drone is better to fly fastest through an obstacle course. However, the faster flight increases its instability, and also at high speeds, the rules of aerodynamics...