黑料福利网 student team Aero develops a system to swap a drone鈥檚 battery in mid-air

July 8, 2026

A successful first demonstration on campus shows that the team members have the wind at their backs.

The drone autonomously approaches the specially built docking platform on the roof of a car. Click the play button to watch the aftermovie of the demo. Photo: Team Aero

The current development of electric drones offers a whole new range of possibilities. However, one major challenge remains: battery replacement. This still has to be done on the ground, which limits the range of drones both literally and figuratively. But the 黑料福利网 student team Aero is working hard on a promising solution: swapping a battery in mid-air with another drone. Following a successful first demonstration on the 黑料福利网 campus, the team members showed they have the wind at their backs.

With bated breath, the members of Team Aero (and the audience) watched as their drone approached a car, landed autonomously on a specially built docking platform on the car鈥檚 roof, secured itself to the platform, and completed an automatic Battery-Swap without human intervention. Carefully, but steadily. Touchdown. Applause, nods of approval, relief, and joy. Because it was a major milestone for the student team.

The Ultimate Goal

But above all, it provided a fresh dose of motivation and confidence to keep working tirelessly toward the ultimate goal: making long-distance electric aviation possible through an In-Flight Battery-Swap system. By replacing depleted batteries in the air instead of landing for lengthy charging stops, this concept could enable electric drones to fly farther and operate with significantly less downtime.

This, in turn, opens new possibilities for drone use across various fields, such as logistics and agriculture. In theory, it would also be possible to replace not only a battery but also a package or another object while in flight. However, to demonstrate this in practice, several crucial steps still need to be taken.

Team members watch as their drone successfully completes its first test. Photo: Team Aero

Validating Three Crucial Components

Because docking two drones in flight poses significant technical and safety challenges, the fifty students on Team Aero are developing the necessary technologies in phases. Their recent project focused on integrating previously developed systems into a single working demonstration, which they have now successfully accomplished. Thanks to the 鈥楧rone-to-Car鈥� setup, the team validated three crucial components of the future system: autonomous precision landing, mechanical docking, and automatic battery replacement.

During the live test, the drone coordinated its flight path with the docking platform on the car and performed a controlled landing. Upon contact, the drone was secured by a mechanical locking system. It then autonomously removed the empty battery from the platform, inserted a charged battery, and locked the replacement battery into place. The entire sequence of actions was performed automatically.

Team Aero鈥檚 next goal is to actually swap batteries in flight. During the upcoming academic year (2026鈥�2027), the students will design and build a custom-made receiving drone with the battery-swapping mechanism integrated into the airframe. This aircraft will serve as the lower 鈥榬eceiver drone鈥�, while the current drone platform will likely continue to function as the upper 鈥榗arrier鈥�. Together, the two platforms will form the basis for the next major performance: an in-flight docking and swapping batteries between two drones.

Cutting-edge precision work

The main focus here is on the control system. Due to the unique turbulence between two flying vehicles, it is difficult to bring them together accurately and dock them. This is cutting-edge precision work. But with a successful first demonstration under its belt, Team Aero is poised to soar to new heights.

Introduction Team Aero

Team Aero was founded five years ago, after a merger of the student team Blue Jay and the honours track SyFly. It currently consists of fifty members, of which 3 board members prioritize the team鈥檚 work over their studies. Aero involves students from nine different studies and thirteen countries. They aim to accelerate autonomous drone development in the Brainport area. Their current project is focusing on redefining flying for the air cargo industry. The sector is responsible for significant carbon emissions, but the limitations of current battery technologies have been preventing the industry's electrification. Team Aero sets out to solve this issue with its In-Air Battery-Swap System.