Shearwater Aerospace has been chosen to contribute advanced AI mission-planning software to DARPA’s Albatross initiative, a program designed to help drones harness wind currents to boost endurance. The approach relies on weather-informed autonomy rather than airframe redesign, enabling existing UAS to fly farther using environmental energy. Flight trials led by PhysicsAI and Applied Aeronautics will evaluate how real-time atmospheric sensing and predictive planning improve operational persistence. The effort fits within DARPA’s wider autonomy portfolio, which emphasizes mission continuation, reduced operator workload, and software-driven performance gains across unmanned aviation platforms.
