Aeronautics

Related papers: 20

About

Aeronautics, in the context of robotics and AI, encompasses the science and engineering of designing, controlling, and operating aircraft and airborne robotic systems. This includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), autonomous drones, insect-inspired flapping-wing robots, and spacecraft entry and descent systems. Researchers apply aeronautical principles — such as aerodynamic force generation, rotor dynamics, and wing-wake interactions — to build robots capable of stable, efficient, and agile flight. AI techniques including deep reinforcement learning, motion planning, and computer vision enable autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and high-speed maneuvering in complex environments, as demonstrated by champion-level drone racing and urban aerial deployment. Aeronautics is critical to robotics because flight dramatically expands operational range and accessibility, enabling applications in military reconnaissance, disaster response, planetary exploration, aerial delivery, and infrastructure monitoring. Understanding both the physical principles of flight and the computational methods for autonomous control allows engineers to develop increasingly capable aerial robots that operate safely and effectively across diverse real-world conditions.

Top Cited Papers

Proceedings of 1995 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

Citations: 2831 • 1995

2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

Citations: 2031 • 2013

BigDog, the Rough-Terrain Quadruped Robot

Marc H. Raibert, Kevin Blankespoor, Gabriel M. Nelson, Rob Playter

Citations: 1477 • 2008

A review of space robotics technologies for on-orbit servicing

Ángel Flores-Abad, Ou Ma, Khanh Pham, Steve Ulrich

Citations: 1293 • 2014

Small Unmanned Aircraft

Randal W. Beard, Timothy W. McLain

Citations: 1262 • 2012

The aerodynamics of insect flight

Sanjay P. Sane

Citations: 1238 • 2003

The role of emotion in believable agents

Joseph Bates

Citations: 1157 • 1994

Proceedings 1992 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

Citations: 1086 • 1992

Real-Time Motion Planning for Agile Autonomous Vehicles

Emilio Frazzoli, Munther A. Dahleh, Éric Féron

Citations: 826 • 2002

57th International Astronautical Congress

Citations: 625 • 2006

Emergency response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants using mobile rescue robots

Keiji Nagatani, Seiga Kiribayashi, Yoshito Okada, Kazuki Otake, Kazuya Yoshida, Satoshı Tadokoro, Takeshi Nishimura, Tomoaki Yoshida, Eiji Koyanagi, Mineo Fukushima, Shinji Kawatsuma

Citations: 601 • 2012

Champion-level drone racing using deep reinforcement learning

Elia Kaufmann, Leonard Bauersfeld, Antonio Loquercio, Matthias Müller, Vladlen Koltun, Davide Scaramuzza

Citations: 562 • 2023

2011 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

Citations: 537 • 2009

Mars Exploration Entry, Descent, and Landing Challenges

Robert D. Braun, Robert M. Manning

Citations: 531 • 2007

DroNet: Learning to Fly by Driving

Antonio Loquercio, Ana I. Maqueda, Carlos R. del‐Blanco, Davide Scaramuzza

Citations: 502 • 2018

Cooperative Manipulation and Transportation with Aerial Robots

Nathan Michael, Jonathan Fink, Vijay Kumar

Citations: 466 • 2010

PROCEEDINGS OF 1995 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION

Citations: 426 • 1995

The influence of wing–wake interactions on the production of aerodynamic forces in flapping flight

James M. Birch, Michael H. Dickinson

Citations: 401 • 2003

Robonaut: NASA's space humanoid

R.O. Ambrose, Hal Aldridge, R.S. Askew, Robert R. Burridge, William Bluethmann, Myron Diftler, Chris S. Lovchik, Darby Magruder, Fredrik Rehnmark

Citations: 396 • 2000

Identification Modeling and Characteristics of Miniature Rotorcraft

Bernard Mettler

Citations: 377 • 2003