Whisker sensors let experimental drone navigate in complete darkness

Delft University of Technology researchers demonstrated a drone that followed walls, mapped unfamiliar spaces and located exits in complete darkness using touch sensors, New Atlas reported. Two front-mounted nitinol whiskers each weigh 3.2 grams and measure 200 mm long. Pressure sensors register whisker contact in under two milliseconds. Onboard processing separates touch signals from propeller turbulence using 34 kilobytes of memory. The system requires physical contact and cannot detect sideways obstacles. It is designed for structured, low-visibility tunnels with relatively flat, continuous surfaces, limiting its usefulness for fast flight through unknown terrain.