AI-driven drone dethrones human world champion pilots
Technology
AI-driven drone dethrones human world champion pilots
(Web Desk) - An AI-powered drone Swift has written history by outshining the world’s top human pilots in the adrenaline-pumping realm of high-speed drone racing.
Swift, a brainchild of University of Zurich researchers, has left its mark by triumphing in 15 out of 25 races.
The races push drones to a staggering 50mph (80 km/h), subjecting them to mind-bending accelerations of up to 5g – an intensity capable of causing blackouts in most people.
Elia Kaufmann, a key figure in Swift’s development, couldn’t hide the excitement, exclaiming, “Our result marks the first time that an AI-driven robot has beaten a human champion in a sport designed by and for humans.”
Drone racing, observed from the perspective of the pilot, involves maneuvering a drone through gates on a designated track while avoiding any potential collisions. Pilots rely on live video feeds from cameras mounted on their drones in order to execute their moves. In a thrilling competition, Swift, an AI system, went head-to-head with three reigning drone racing champions, namely Thomas Bitmatta, Marvin Schapper, and Alex Vanover.
While human pilots received a week to practice on the actual racecourse, Swift underwent rigorous training in a virtual environment that was meticulously replicated. To train Swift, cutting-edge deep reinforcement learning methods were utilized. This involved discovering the most effective commands through a process of trial and error.
In the training process, Swift simulated hundreds of crashes. The virtual setup allowed researchers to restart the training whenever necessary. Elia Kaufmann, the lead author of the study, explained, "To ensure the simulator accurately represented real-world consequences, we developed a method to fine-tune the simulator using real data."
This outstanding achievement of an AI system dominating in a physically demanding sport demonstrates the relentless progress of artificial intelligence across various fields. Swift's victory serves as a testament to the remarkable capabilities of AI, setting the stage for more thrilling competitions in the fast-paced world of drone racing.
