Enhancing Navigation in Obscured Environments

Bat-Inspired Drones Use Ultrasound to Navigate Smoke

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute develop palm-sized robots that mimic echolocation for dark environments.

By Avantgarde News Desk·March 26, 2026·1 min read

A palm-sized robotic drone navigating through a room filled with dense grey smoke. The drone features small circular sensors on its front and is shown in a realistic search-and-rescue setting.
Photo: Avantgarde News

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed palm-sized drones capable of navigating through thick smoke and fog ^[1]. These "PeAR Bat" robots mimic bat echolocation to move autonomously where traditional sensors often fail ^[1]. The study, published in Science Robotics, highlights a significant leap in aerial robotics for dark or obscured environments ^[1]. Unlike standard drones that rely on cameras or LIDAR, these units use ultrasound sensors paired with deep learning ^[1]. This combination allows the robots to detect and avoid obstacles in real-time ^[1]. This technology could prove vital for search and rescue operations in hazardous conditions where visibility is zero ^[1].

Editorial notes

Transparency note

Drafted with LLM; human-edited

AI assisted: Yes
Human review: Yes
Last updated: March 26, 2026

Risk assessment

High

Risk level set to high due to limited sourcing; only one independent domain was provided in the source list, failing the recommendation for three or more independent sources.

Sources

1.
Mirage News
Bat-Inspired Aerial Robots Use Ultrasound and AI to Navigate Smoke and Fog
↗
In a study published in Science Robotics, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) revealed palm-sized drones that mimic bat echolocation. By using ultrasound sensors and deep learning, these 'PeAR Bat' drones can autonomously avoid obstacles in dark or obscured environments where cameras and LIDAR typically fail.
Back to reference