An autonomous paraglider inspired by nature could help armies to resupply troops in dangerous places, or deliver humanitarian aid to disaster zones. The British Army trialled the unusual aerial vehicle during a recent month-long combat exercise.
Called Stork, the glider can take off and land in very tight spaces. It can fly itself to preprogrammed coordinates, using either GPS or a vision-based navigation system if GPS is not available.
Stork’s small, three-wheeled chassis has a…