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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Future Spacecraft Could Dock & Exchange Tools Without Human Control

Imagine two small flying robots hovering almost directly above and below each other. Instead of keeping a safe distance, one robot carries a tool while the other reaches upward with a robotic arm, connects to that tool, and takes control of it—all while both machines remain in the air.

This sounds extremely difficult because flying robots create powerful downward airflow called downwash. When multiple drones fly close together, this turbulent air can disturb their position and make precise movements much harder.

Now, researchers led by Cao have developed a system called FlyingToolbox that demonstrates how flying robots can cooperate even under these challenging conditions. The system allows two aerial robots to operate in a vertical-stack formation and perform precise midair tool exchange with sub-centimetre-level accuracy.

Why flying robots struggle when they get too close

Multirotor drones, such as quadcopters, stay in the air by spinning their propellers and pushing air downward. This creates the upward force needed to counter gravity.

However, the same airflow can become a major problem when another drone is positioned nearby.

When one flying robot is above another, the lower robot can be exposed to strong and constantly changing airflow from the upper robot's propellers. This downwash can create turbulence and unexpected forces, making the lower drone harder to control.

The problem becomes even more serious when a robot needs to perform a precise task.

Flying a drone from one location to another is relatively straightforward compared with using a robotic arm to connect with a small object while both machines are moving in the air. Even a small positional error could cause the arm to miss its target.

For this reason, vertical-stack proximal flight—where flying robots operate extremely close to each other, one above another—is generally considered a dangerous condition that should be avoided.

FlyingToolbox takes a different approach.

Two robots, two different jobs

The system consists of two specialized micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs).

The first is the toolbox MAV, which carries a tool. Its role is essentially to transport and present the tool to the second robot.

The second is the manipulator MAV, which is equipped with a robotic arm.

Instead of carrying every tool it might need, the manipulator robot can approach the toolbox MAV and autonomously connect its robotic arm to the tool being carried.

This creates a completely new type of cooperation between flying machines.

Rather than simply flying together, the robots can interact physically and exchange tools while airborne.

The concept could be particularly useful for aerial robots that need to perform different physical tasks but cannot carry every required instrument simultaneously.

The biggest challenge: powerful airflow

The impressive part of FlyingToolbox is not simply that two drones can exchange an object.

The real challenge is maintaining extremely accurate positioning while dealing with strong downwash airflow.

According to the researchers, the system achieved a docking accuracy of 0.80 ± 0.33 centimetres even when exposed to downwash airflow reaching 13.18 metres per second.

That means the system was able to bring the robotic arm and the carried tool together with an average docking error of less than one centimetre despite the intense airflow created by the nearby flying robot.

For an aerial manipulation system, this level of precision is significant because the robots are not operating on a stable surface.

They are both flying.

Every movement involves maintaining balance, controlling position, compensating for airflow and coordinating the robotic arm—all at the same time.

Turning a dangerous condition into an advantage

FlyingToolbox challenges the conventional idea that aerial robots should always maintain distance from one another.

Normally, keeping drones separated makes sense because it reduces aerodynamic interference and lowers the risk of collisions.

But proximity also has an important advantage: it allows robots to physically interact.

If flying robots can safely approach one another, they can potentially transfer objects, share tools, assist each other and perform tasks that would be difficult for a single drone.

This is where FlyingToolbox becomes particularly interesting.

The researchers describe the system as resolving a fundamental conflict between flight proximity and manipulation accuracy.

In simple terms, flying robots normally need to stay apart to remain stable, but precise manipulation requires them to get close.

FlyingToolbox demonstrates that carefully designed cooperation and control can allow both requirements to exist together.

A flying toolbox in the sky

One useful way to understand the concept is to imagine a drone acting like a flying toolbox.

A manipulator drone could travel to a location and discover that it needs a particular instrument to complete a task. Instead of returning to the ground, another drone could bring the required tool directly to it.

The manipulator could then connect to the tool while both robots remain airborne.

After completing the job, the tool could potentially be returned or transferred to another robot.

This could create a more flexible ecosystem in which different flying robots specialize in different functions.

One robot might carry equipment. Another might inspect infrastructure. Another could perform manipulation. Rather than every machine carrying everything it needs, they could cooperate dynamically.

Potential applications

The technology could eventually contribute to several areas of aerial robotics.

In infrastructure inspection, for example, a flying robot could carry sensors or specialized instruments and transfer them to another robot capable of performing a particular inspection task.

In construction, aerial robots might potentially cooperate by delivering tools or components to another machine working in difficult-to-reach locations.

In disaster-response environments, robots could exchange equipment without requiring humans to physically reach dangerous areas.

The concept could also be useful for maintenance operations, where different tools may be required for different tasks.

It may also have space applications. Future robotic spacecraft, lunar drones or planetary robots could potentially exchange tools and equipment while operating in challenging environments where human assistance is difficult.

Another possibility is large-scale robotic systems in which different aerial vehicles have specialized capabilities and cooperate as a team rather than functioning independently.

These applications remain areas for future development, but the underlying principle is important: flying robots do not necessarily have to operate as isolated machines.

A new model for aerial robot cooperation

FlyingToolbox represents more than a demonstration of two drones flying close together.

It introduces the possibility of interactive aerial cooperation, where different robots can physically connect and share capabilities while airborne.

The researchers' results show that even under strong downwash conditions, precise docking can be achieved with sub-centimetre accuracy.

That could open the door to a new generation of heterogeneous flying robots—machines designed with different capabilities that can cooperate dynamically in midair.

Instead of asking one drone to carry every tool and perform every task, future aerial systems could work more like a team.

One robot could carry the toolbox.

Another could carry the robotic arm.

And when a new capability is needed, the robots could simply meet in the air and exchange what they need.

FlyingToolbox shows that the turbulent space between flying robots may not only be a problem to avoid—it could become a new workspace for robotic cooperation.

Reference: Cao, H., Shen, J., Zhang, Y. et al. Proximal cooperative aerial manipulation with vertically stacked drones. Nature 646, 576–583 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09575-x

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