Whisker-Guided Drone Navigation

Researchers at Delft University of Technology developed a tactile navigation system for drones weighing less than 100 grams.

Flexible artificial whiskers connected to pressure sensors estimate where and how deeply the drone contacts a surface, while onboard processing filters out propeller airflow and reconstructs the surrounding space. Tests with a Crazyflie microdrone included wall following, obstacle avoidance, and mapping an unfamiliar unlit room without cameras, LiDAR, GPS, or external positioning. The approach is designed for environments such as dark, dusty, smoky, or confined spaces where conventional visual navigation may be unreliable.