This is an interesting article, but it positions the Microsoft project as the first effort in this area when in fact there is significant amateur and profession

This is an interesting article, but it positions the Microsoft project as the first effort in this area when in fact there is significant amateur and professional research covering the same ground (same air?). NASA has been looking into this for at least a decade [1]. There's an oblique reference in the Times article to an "autonomous soaring world record"--I believe that was Dan Edwards at NCSU in 2008.[2] [1] https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20070022339.pdf https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/200700... [2] RCGroups thread documenting his efforts: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?502046-Autonomous-Soaring https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?502046-Autono...