© Stiftung Jugend forscht

... Étienne Neumann (17), Florian Vahl (17) and Maximilian Schiller (16) from Rellingen. The commercially available quadrocopter models have some limitations: the battery runs out quickly and therefore limits the flight time. In addition, the drones have so far had to be remote-controlled, so they do not fly autonomously. The three students focused on these two weaknesses in their project. They equipped a small, motorized model glider with extensive software and sensor technology. This enables the mini glider to recognize favourable updrafts on its own and significantly extend its flight time.