New search and rescue drones use artificial intelligence to fly through forests

Artificial intelligence software has been developed to allow drones to find their way through dense forests, meaning that they could soon be used in search and rescue missions. The drones use a ‘Deep Neural Network’ designed by researchers from the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Zurich. After being ‘trained’ using 20,000 images from forest hikes in the Swiss Alps, they can navigate new forest trails with an 85% rate of success.