Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg saw how nature is inspiring pioneering advances in drone technology at Imperial's Aerial Robotics Lab.

Hosted by the Vice-Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Mary Ryan, Baroness Sugg was the first Minister to visit the brand new Brahmal Vasudevan Multi-Terrain Aerial Robotics Arena.

The Minister was introduced to the work of the lab by its director, Dr Mirko Kovac, who gave a presentation of the lab’s work including how it takes inspiration from biology – such as mimicking the anatomy of butterflies to create flying robotic micro-gliders.

PhD students in the lab gave a demonstration of drones in action, showcasing the 16 high speed 3D aerial tracking cameras that record in real-time the dynamics of robots in the air.

The visit, held on Friday 24 November, came in advance of a government announcement that police will be given new powers to prevent the unsafe or criminal use of drones under planned legislation. The government plan to publish the draft Drone Bill for consultation in spring 2018.

The Minister said “It was fantastic to visit the ground-breaking Brahmal Vasudevan Multi-Terrain Aerial Robotics Arena at Imperial College London. Dr Mirko Kovac and his team are pushing back the frontier of drone technology, revealing the scope for drones to help solve major societal challenges. This pioneering facility, and their important work, will help position the UK as a leader in aerial robotics.”

The Brahmal Vasudevan Multi-Terrain Aerial Robotics Arena at Imperial’s Department of Aeronautics is the first of its kind in Europe. Located on the roof of the City and Guilds building, the facility is dedicated to the design, development and testing of novel mobile robots for various unstructured and extreme environments. Funded by a £1.25m gift from Imperial aeronautical engineering alumnus Mr Brahmal Vasudevan, the lab opened in November 2017.