Liftoff used for Research at UZH
The University of Zurich Robotics & Perception Group develops fast and agile autonomous drones that can fly as good as, and eventually better than, the best human pilots. This technology allows autonomous drones to accomplish more in a short time, which is very important for aerial delivery, inspection, and search and rescue missions. The research group has chosen Liftoff as their simulation platform to conduct their research.
"Liftoff is a photorealistic, highly customizable simulator, which offers a very realistic flight feel to experienced human pilots. Liftoff allows us to easily configure drone setup, track layout, and graphics settings to address a variety of research questions." - Christian Pfeiffer (Postdoctoral researcher)
The team at LuGus Studios has created a custom version of the Liftoff software to give the researchers at UZH access to more tools and data.
"We are currently using Liftoff for laboratory experiments at the University of Zurich where we record piloting behavior and subjective ratings from experienced human pilots on standardized race tracks." - Christian Pfeiffer (Postdoctoral researcher)
The outcomes of this research will provide valuable insights into understanding the similarities and differences between human-piloted and fast and agile autonomous flight.
About The University of Zurich Robotics & Perception Group
The UZH Robotics & Perception Group has a key interest in the development of autonomous machines that can navigate all by themselves using only onboard cameras and computation, without relying on external infrastructure, such as GPS or position tracking systems, nor off-board computing. Their interests predominantly lie in the field of micro drones because they are more challenging and offer more research opportunities than ground robots.
About Liftoff Academy Enterprise
UZH is a fantastic Liftoff Academy Enterprise partner. Our team collaborated with the UZH Robotics & Perception Group to create tailored tool and data sets to aid the group in their research. Learn more about Liftoff Academy here.