A drone monitoring a rainforest could last much longer by landing on a branch and switching off its motors instead of continuously hovering. But reliable landings are difficult: as the drone approaches a branch, its own gripper can block the camera’s view.

Researchers have developed a drone that does something more like a bird: it feels for a branch before landing. Using soft tactile sensors embedded in a human-like hand, the drone detects contact with a branch, learns where the branch is and how it is oriented, adjusts its position and grips it securely.