This “robot bird” flies at 45 mph through forests—With no GPS or light

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed SUPER, a drone capable of navigating complex environments at high speeds with bird-like agility. Flying at over 20 meters per second, it can avoid obstacles as thin as 2.5 millimeters using onboard sensors and computing. SUPER's advanced LIDAR sensor and planning framework enable split-second decisions, making it suitable for search and rescue, autonomous exploration, and disaster relief. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for rapid, autonomous navigation in challenging environments.