Most unmanned drones designed for precision flying are helicopter-like, from hexacopters created for aerial filming, to the University of Pennsylvania's adorable synchronized quadrocopters. Now, researchers at MIT have created an algorithm to pilot an autonomous airplane without using GPS, a much bigger challenge because of the limitations that come with fixed-wing aircraft: no hovering, no sideways movement, and the need to maintain enough speed to keep it in the air. The MIT team designed a plane with short and broad wings specifically for the challenge, which allow it to fly relatively slowly, make fairly precise turns, and support the weight of the necessary electronics.
The plane uses a combination of two algorithms to determine...
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