Researchers unveil sense and avoid system for UAVs

The team at the Queensland University of Technology believes the system could enable UAVs to fly in commercial airspace and make a safe landing in an emergency, something not currently possible. "UAV flight plans are set pre-flight, and if something goes wrong and they need to land they have no way of determining where the safest landing spot is," explained lead researcher Dr Dr Luis Mejias Alvarez. "In most cases they just drop." Dr Mejias said he expects the system to fit UAVs with a higher level of intelligence so that they can both sense and avoid other traffic and determine appropriate landing spots should the need arise. "If we can do that we will have gone a long way towards enabling UAVs to fly in commercial airspace and enable their wider use," he said. Dr Mejias believes the technology could also be used in commercial aviation to help pilots choose appropriate landing sites. He commented: "When things go wrong with an aircraft while it's in flight, a pilot has to try to manipulate a lot of instruments to gain control of their aircraft. "We're currently working on a GPS based system that will incorporate a camera to pinpoint to the pilot any larger, vacant spaces that would provide landing options. It will help the pilot navigate away from populated areas and find the safest landing spot."