Drone mother ship could release mini-drone swarm for search and rescue

A hybrid drone that can fly over, land on and walk across rough terrain before launching tiny drones from its back could be useful for search-and-rescue operations.

Dzmitry Tsetserukou at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow, Russia, and his colleagues have created the MorphoLander – a hybrid drone that acts like an aircraft carrier – to get smaller drones near to areas of interest and solve the problem of limited battery life.

The MorphoLander has four articulated legs that allow it to land on uneven terrain, and even walk across it, while maintaining a level position. It can also …