Chinese team develops drones that exchange tools while flying

Researchers at Westlake University in China have developed the FlyingToolbox system, enabling multi-rotor drones to exchange tools mid-flight with unprecedented precision. This breakthrough overcomes the significant challenge of downwash—the turbulent airflow generated by the propellers of an upper drone that destabilizes a drone flying below it. The system pairs a lower “toolbox drone” carrying multiple tools with an upper “manipulator drone” equipped with a robotic arm that picks up and returns tools during flight. Using real-time airflow prediction via a neural network, magnetic docking mechanisms, and QR code-based visual tracking, the drones achieve sub-centimeter docking accuracy, maintaining stability even in strong turbulence. In experiments, the FlyingToolbox successfully completed 20 consecutive dockings with less than one centimeter of error, a marked improvement over previous aerial docking systems that typically had accuracies of six to eight centimeters. The magnetic docking system, combined with elastic cords, allows for automatic locking and error absorption during alignment. This technology enables drones to