A Russian youth engineering team called Digital Galaxy has built an algorithm that cuts drone energy consumption by about a third.
The savings come from smarter navigation. The software plots an optimal flight route and recalculates it on the fly if conditions change. What sets it apart from similar systems is that it factors in weather, including wind strength in the flight zone, not just physical obstacles.
The drone can navigate around obstacles on its own. If it loses contact with the operator, it finds a safe spot and lands automatically.
The algorithm trains itself in a virtual environment, which means it can adapt to different drone types and different terrain without starting from scratch each time.
The project was reported through University 2035 and shared with TASS.
