This “robot bird” flies at 45 mph through forests—With no GPS or light

Unlike birds, which navigate unknown environments with remarkable speed and agility, drones typically rely on external guidance or pre-mapped routes. However, a groundbreaking development by Professor Fu Zhang and researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has enabled drones and micro air vehicles (MAVs) to emulate the flight capabilities of birds more closely than ever before.

The team has developed the Safety-Assured High-Speed Aerial Robot (SUPER), capable of flying at speeds exceeding 20 meters per second and avoiding obstacles as thin as 2.5 millimeters - such as power lines or twigs - using solely on onboard sensors and computing power. With a compact design featuring a wheelbase of just 280 mm and a takeoff weight of 1.5 kg, SUPER demonstrates exceptional agility, navigating dense forests at night and skillfully avoiding thin wires.

Professor Zhang describes this invention as a ...