Scientists are testing a drone fitted with its own “nervous system,” which they claim can keep it operating in the sky for longer.
A team of experts at the University of Southampton developed the innovative system.
It uses advanced optical fibers designed to enhance operational efficiency in various applications.
One key benefit of this system is its ability to significantly decrease the frequency of inspections required for maintenance.
This reduction in inspection needs not only saves time and resources but also increases safety and reliability in its operational environment.
Cargo-carrying drones are required to make regular pitstops for manual safety checks, which limits their use and can increase operating costs.
The optical fiber system created at Southampton makes drones work better by constantly checking their structure, similar to how nerves function in the body.
The leading researchers, Dr. Chris Holmes and Dr. Martynas Beresna from the Optoelectronics Research Centre, explained this.
“This is a kind of nervous system for drones,” said Dr Holmes. “It sends back real-time information using light – rather than electricity – which avoids problems that electronic systems have with interference from radio frequencies.”
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