Insect-like Drones That Sense, Learn and Swarm – With Guido de Croon

Insect-like drones that tend crops, perform aircraft inspections and find gas leaks are here, and they’re only the beginning!

Today I’m diving into the future of bio-inspired drones with the one and only Professor Guido de Croon, head of the Micro-Air Vehicle Lab at Delft Technical University in The Netherlands.

Guido shares the latest insect-inspired research developments in vision-systems, energy-efficient intelligence, height-sensing, autonomous navigation, swarming, energy-harvesting and speedy decision-making. We discuss early commercial applications and spinout companies, and how the MAVLab team is building on it’s victory in the 2025 autonomous drone racing championship in Abu Dhabi to take agility to a whole new level.

It’s the stuff of sci-fi, except … it isn’t. MAVLab creations now flap their wings like birds and dragonflies, carry sensors that process information and facilitate ‘event-based’ decisions much like eyes, ears and brains do in the natural world. They emulate the navigation ‘alogithms’ of bees and ants. They swarm to accomplish collective goals based on how insects do it. Will robot insects one day harvest energy from their environment, thereby extending their missions indefinitely? You’ll have to listen to find out!

As you’ll hear, I’m thrilled to be catching-up with Guido. He’s one of my favorite scientists. He’s happy, positive, and bursting with ideas to help industry. Ever since we first connected in 2021 I’ve enjoyed featuring MAVLab creations in my presentations. Why? Because these tiny drones ‘push the limits’ of what’s possible by drawing inspiration from nature, an approach that will continue to unlock new opportunities for decades, and because (despite being tiny) they inspire audiences think BIGGER about the future!

Thank you Guido, for your passionate, joy-filled insights on the future of tiny drones.