Every UAV or drone uses an autopilot system to hover around, maintain a steady flight or handle maneuvers. The autopilot is also responsible for establishing contact with the ground controllers via satellite link.
A smaller and lighter autopilot allows these drones to fly longer and free up more space on-board to carry more payloads such as cameras. The space becomes much more crucial if the drones are smaller….so small that it can even fit into your pocket or sit in your hand.
Until now, the smallest available autopilot system weighed around 32 grams. But the researchers of Micro Aerial Vehicle lab (MAV) at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands have successfully built and tested the world’s tiniest and lightest autopilot system for micro drones. They have named the autopilot system Lisa/s.
Lisa/s weighs just 1.9 grams and measures 2×2 cm in size. The large reduction in size and weight of the autopilot will allow the micro drones to fly longer using the same battery and fit into the narrower spaces apart from carrying heavier cameras and sensors.
This remarkable research will be invaluable in making the micro drones perfectly suitable not just for search and rescue operations but sting and spying operations as well.
