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Last Update: 10/14/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
Artificial Whiskers for Drone Navigation
Coverage from WIRED, The Debrief, and others
Researchers at Delft University of Technology, led by Salua Hamaza, developed a tactile navigation system for drones weighing under 100 grams.
Two flexible artificial whiskers fitted with pressure sensors estimate where and how deeply the drone makes contact, while onboard processing filters interference from the propellers. Tests demonstrated obstacle avoidance, surface following, tactile mapping and exit-finding in dark spaces, including around transparent barriers. The work explores how a small drone can use touch as a practical complement when visual navigation is unavailable or unreliable.
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All Articles6 articles
Interesting
In tests in a small glass-walled room, Delft University of Technology researchers used a whisker-inspired tactile sensor to help a palm-sized drone find an exit.
10/14/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General
Researchers at Delft University of Technology demonstrated in a Nature Communications study that a sub-100-gram drone can navigate dark spaces by touch using artificial whiskers.
9/22/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General
During laboratory trials, Delft University of Technology researchers demonstrated a whisker-equipped Crazyflie drone that navigated by touch in Delft, Netherlands.
9/21/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General
Delft University of Technology researchers developed a whisker-based tactile sensing system that enabled tiny autonomous drones to navigate dark enclosed environments.
9/18/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General
TU Delft researchers demonstrated tactile whisker navigation on a Crazyflie drone in dark, confined environments using onboard sensing and control.
9/18/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General
Delft University of Technology researchers in the Netherlands developed a whisker-based tactile sensor that enables tiny autonomous drones to navigate by touch for potential search-and-rescue operations.
9/20/2026 • Drone Technology & Components • General