# Whisker sensors let experimental drone navigate in complete darkness

_Published Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 1:59 PM EDT · Robotics, Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![The drone whiskers are inspired by those of rats (and other animals) — Primary](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/6e68a4a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5315x2790+0+377/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2F60%2F234889454861b676e774263f70eb%2Fwhiskered-drone-navigates-just-like-a-rat.jpg&na.image_optimisation=0)

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.

## Sources

- [New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News](https://newatlas.com/drones/whiskers-drones-navigate-dark/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/gDTUup1UMyLqBfQPhVNmYQ
Published: 2026-10-14T17:59:10.904Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-14T17:14:04.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-14T20:54:22.631Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)