Check out this Self-flying Drone Avoids Obstacles at 30 Miles per Hour. It looks like this technology is
is not just for smart cars trying to avoid pedestrians and parked cars. CSAIL PhD student Andrew Barry has made this project open source for everyone to benefit from. It can fly through the treetops and dynamically avoid branches and tree trunks. It does this by using a stereo vision system.
“Running 20 times faster than existing software, Barry’s stereo-vision algorithm allows the drone to detect objects and build a full map of its surroundings in real-time. Operating at 120 frames per second, the software – which is open-source and available online – extracts depth information at a speed of 8.3 milliseconds per frame.
The drone, which weighs just over a pound and has a 34-inch wingspan, was made from off-the-shelf components costing about $1,700, including a camera on each wing and two processors no fancier than the ones you’d find on a cellphone.”