Called the Magpie system, two Switzerland-based companies, Daedalean and UAVenture have developed a break-through in vision-based technology to support autonomous UAV operations. Soon to be available to UAV operators, the technology is also targeted at developing the market for autonomous eVTOL aircraft being developed as urban commuter services.
Daedalean explained the Magpie system “is the ideal demonstrator of the safety-certifiable neural networks that process vision, enabling the features that nowadays require the human pilot’s eyes and visual cortex.”
Weighing less than one pound, Magpie will deliver real-time vision-based detection of emergency landing locations as well as “navigation and attitude estimation in situations when GPS guidance is not available.” In effect, it means the system, like a human pilot, could scan the area ahead and identify a suitable landing site.