Category Archives: Research

NASA Microphone Detects Turbulence Hundreds of Miles Away

The HiDRON glider carries scientific instruments to the upper reaches of the atmosphere

Whether it’s in the wake vortex of airplanes taking off or in seemingly calm air, there are few issues more meddlesome to flight than turbulence. Not only can these “horizontal tornadoes” make air travel uncomfortable and possibly dangerous, but attempts to avoid them can consume large amounts of fuel. Researchers at NASA have developed technology to find these zones, and with some engineering ingenuity, they could revolutionize both flight planning and aeronautical research. Continue reading →

MIT’s LaserFactory Fabricates Fully Functional Drones

A group from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) recently developed a new system to print functional, custom-made devices and robots, without human intervention. Their single system uses a three-ingredient recipe that lets users create structural geometry, print traces, and assemble electronic components like sensors and actuators. Continue reading →

MIT Researchers’ New Generation of Tiny, Agile Drones

Insects can be remarkably acrobatic and resilient in flight. Those traits help them navigate the aerial world, with all of its wind gusts, obstacles, and general uncertainty. Such traits are also hard to build into flying robots, but MIT Assistant Professor Kevin Yufeng Chen has built a system that approaches insects’ agility. Continue reading →

NOAA Tests Drones that Hunt Hurricanes

Underside of the NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane with Altius-600 : Courtesy of Area-I

In clear skies over Maryland the week of January 11, NOAA scientists launched a new uncrewed small aircraft — a research drone — from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane to test its ability to gather weather data that could improve hurricane forecasts. Continue reading →