ANAFI Ai – © Parrot 2021 5
A naturalist remark
In the animal kingdom, there is no known
species that has optical sensors
distributed around its body.
No insect, bird, fish, or mammal has
developed a ‘visual perception system’ of
sensors, despite each species needing to
detect obstacles or predators in all
directions in order to survive.
Natural evolution has led to the most widespread and efficient solution. For example:
- mobile heads that can be oriented on 3 axes: left/right (yaw), up/down (pitch), and also to a lesser
extent with respect to the horizon (roll);
- this integrates a unique pair of sensors adapted to the animal's behavior, and installed on a vertical
plane of the face for tree-dwelling primates from which we descend, or directed more laterally for
equids for example;
- the pair of sensors are generally mobile on 2 axes: left/right (yaw axis) and up/down (pitch axis).
This visual perception is created of a pair of sensors (the eyes) mobile on 5 free axes (the
movements of the head and eyes in their orbits).
In biology, we also see this in the evolution of the optic nerve. For most species, the optic nerve is
the largest of its kind; it transmits large amounts of information across the body to its cerebral
support. It is also a very short nerve made up of a bundle of cerebral fibers. When we apply this to a
drone, the link (the “bus”) between the sensor and the processor requires an essential exchange of
information, which implies optimizing the length of the bus.
Anatomically, the head of some species is often
detached from the rest of the body. Some flying
species (insects, birds, mammals) have their head
located at the front of its frame, extending the view of
the rest of the body - especially its wings. The
placement of its head also allows its eyes to be
positioned in such a way as to have an excellent field
of view in all directions, and turning the head allows
most flying species to see precisely behind them.
It is from this system of visual perception and cerebral
support emerges the cognitive functions - in this case
the perceptive and conceptual functions.
With this is in mind, Parrot has designed the ANAFI Ai
obstacle avoidance system.
Henri Seydoux
Founder and CEO, Parrot Drones
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