DARPA, the Pentagon’s research division, just revealed a speed demon quadcopter that flies at over 70 kilometres per hour — it’s like a cheetah drone. I can’t stop watching glorious footage of this glorious cheetah drone.
It’s a product of DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy program (FLA), whose goal is to beef up drone processing power that will let them carry out low-level tasks, like manoeuvring in a crowded space, without human help. What makes this little guy even more impressive is that it’s toting around a bunch of sensors and software so it can autonomously navigate around obstacles in its path — all while hitting those unprecedented speeds. That’s what makes this drone different from other similarly fast ones.
Pilot-free, lightweight, smart and wicked quick. This tech could be a huge help for military members looking to save civilians in an unpredictable emergency situation, like an earthquake zone, or gather intel in complex indoor spaces sans a human with a remote control. Or just wow your face off.
[DARPA]