SUPER MAV: Revolutionizing Autonomous Flight in Aerial Robotics:

By Ashley Tam,

Chapter Head; Harrow International School Hong Kong, HK

What is SUPER and how does this system work?

Created and developed by engineers at Hong Kong University, SUPER is a high-speed aerial robot with safety assurance, a minuscule Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) that allows for agile flight in cluttered settings while optimising speed and safety during autonomous flight. The lightweight three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor on the MAV, which has a 280-millimeter wheelbase, allows for precise obstacle identification in uncharted territory, making it safer and quicker than other MAVs.

Researchers have created a planning framework that produces two trajectories: one that maximises speed in known and unknown places and another that guarantees safety in known open spaces. Under this novel framework, flights exceed 20 meters per second and effectively avoid small and thin impediments in the air, decreasing failure rates by 35.9 times and completely revolutionising autonomous MAV systems.

Why does it work better than existing MAVS?

Due to its ability to travel at high speeds while maintaining high levels of safety, there are numerous advantages to SUPER compared to existing MAVs. Firstly, SUPER overcomes the limitations of traditional flying robots that use large amounts of video data, which slows operation speeds. The LIDAR sensor used on SUPER MAVs provides real-time feedback which can be used to plot flight paths and eliminate reliance on video data, accelerating the duration of operation. Aside from speed, SUPER is more versatile than prior MAVs as it can grasp objects at high speeds while operating outside of controlled environments, making it more useful and practical in real-life circumstances.

Currently, which industries use MAVs the most?

Many industries rely on MAVs to perform numerous functions. Most notably, military operations depend on MAVs as this technology allows military personnel to gather information on enemy positions, troop movements and terrain conditions without endangering any soldiers. Due to their small size and silent operation, it is extremely difficult to detect these MAVs, making them optimal for stealthy missions. Other industries like photography and videography use MAVs as well. In real estate photography, many agencies use MAVs to take high-quality aerial shots of property that are valuable for marketing purposes. In filmography, MAVs can also be used for movies or documentaries to acquire unique angles and videos.

Lastly, Search and Rescue rely on MAVs to carry out complex missions. Whether it be disaster relief, mountain rescue or maritime search and rescue, MAVs are used in many situations to advance and streamline rescue operations. MAVs can quickly assess the extent of damage after natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and floods without potentially endangering rescue workers so that a plan of action can be developed to most efficiently rescue victims and survivors of these disasters. This clearly shows how MAVs affect our day-to-day lives, from film to military to rescue efforts, MAVs significantly improve many areas of industry.

Image sourced from Science

What ethical problems may arise when using SUPER?

While there are many advantages to using more advanced MAVs like SUPER, there are undeniable ethical concerns that come with this new technology. The major concern with SUPER is breaches of privacy. As SUPER uses LIDAR sensors, many are worried about potential unauthorized surveillance and the invasion of privacy for individuals both in private and public spaces as SUPER can collect sensitive data. Moreover, with the data collected by these LIDAR sensors, the processes of information collection and handling are still unclear. As the development of newer MAV technology is surpassing the speed at which regulatory frameworks can be put in place, many ethical issues regarding consent and ownership of the data remain uncertain.

Furthermore, there are many concerns regarding SUPER being used in a military context. The development of MAVs for military purposes, especially in conflict, poses many hazards like increased civilian casualties that could be avoided. SUPER also relies on autonomous decision-making and this raises its own set of moral implications. In military situations, where life-and-death decisions are made, should SUPER be allowed to make these decisions and override human judgment? The debate on this topic is complex and continues to go on, especially as MAVs continue to develop with a consensus unlikely to be reached.

Overall, SUPER is a revolutionary breakthrough to the constant development of MAVs and has the potential to improve many industries drastically. However, like many other innovations, SUPER comes with its own set of ethical and moral challenges that need to be discussed before this technology can be expanded and integrated into our daily lives.

Works Cited:

Blanchard, A. (2024, April 25). Ethics in the international debate on Autonomous Weapon Systems. Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog. https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2024/04/25/the-road-less-travelled-ethics-in-the-international-regulatory-debate-on-autonomous-weapon-systems/

MARS LAB HKU. (2025, January 30). SUPER - Safety-assured High-Speed Navigation for MAVs. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPHuzG0ANmI

Nikolakopoulos, G. (2020). Autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicles: Methods and Applications. Applied Sciences | Special Issue. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/micro_aerial_vehicles

Safety-assured high-speed navigation for MAVs. (2025, January 29). https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.ado6187

SuperMicro. (2020, October 28). Code of business conduct and ethics policy statement. https://www.supermicro.com/about/policies/Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics.pdf