Dynamic presentations by Sebastian Thrun and Nicholas Roy have alerted and informed CAFE Foundation\u2019s Electric Aircraft Symposia attendees of highly sophisticated efforts to allow autonomous full-size automobiles and miniature helicopters to navigate through or over unfamiliar terrain.<\/p>\n
Using clues from lasers, infrared sensors, inertial guidance systems and sometimes GPS coordinates, the vehicles use control algorithms to guide themselves around obstacle-strewn courses. As noted in Science Daily<\/em> <\/a>and the The Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u2019s press office <\/a>this week, \u201cDozens of research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.\u201d<\/p>\n Mini-copters have shown an amazing ability to not only navigate, but to perform complex tasks in swarms, such as building large architectural assemblies \u2013 all without human intervention (other than, one assumes, someone pushing a \u201cgo\u201d button).<\/p>\n