Microsoft invests $5.5 Million to create new Flying Robots

Microsoft’s Research division has teamed up with scientists at two new Swiss universities to perform advanced research on several new projects, including one that’s supposed to lead to the creation of flying robots capable of interacting with humans through gestures and touch.

Robohub is reporting that Microsoft has agreed to sponsor the research with no less than 5 million Swiss francs ($5.5 million / €4 million) over the next five years in order to support scientists at ETH Zurich and EPFL to continue their IT research projects.

A total of seven projects have been selected as part of the program (out of a total of 27), with Microsoft Research experts to work together with scientists at the two universities in order to develop new technologies that could soon completely change our lives.

One of the projects that received the go-ahead is a new flying robot which not only recognizes human bodies, but it can also interact directly with the people around it using gestures and touch.

Otmar Hilliges, a 34-year-old assistant professor, and Dr. Shahram Izadi from Microsoft Research, are both working on this exciting project, the source adds, with the first results expected to be announced in a couple of years.

This isn’t the first time that Microsoft’s Research unit gets involved in out-of-this-world projects, as the division recently announced the creation of a smart elevator that simply gets you wherever you want to go without the press of a single button.

The elevator automatically stores information regarding your previous options and learns where you usually go in order to select the floor you wish to reach without manual input. Of course, the elevator is still in development stage, but don’t be too surprised if such a technology gets the green light in the near future, at least in the Redmond campus.