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Significant achievements

Semper Ardens Accomplish: FreeFly project

Emad Samuel Malki Ebeid received prestigious recognition from the Carlsberg Foundation for his research contributions in autonomous aerial robotics and intelligent infrastructure technologies. Through the FreeFly project, he leads research on advanced autonomous bio-inspired robotic systems, reinforcing SDU's international position in robotics, embedded systems, AI, and critical infrastructure inspection.

Read about FreeFly

From autonomous drones that recharge on live power lines to bio-inspired flying robots and European research leadership, SDU Digital and High-Frequency Electronics develops technologies that make critical infrastructure safer, smarter and more sustainable.

4

Flagship research projects

DKK 13 million

FreeFly Funding

2026–2031

FreeFly project period

International

Research and media impact

Development of Autonomous Self-Recharging Drones

DHFE developed one of the world's few autonomous drones capable of recharging directly from energized power lines, enabling long-duration infrastructure inspection and maintenance missions. The technology was published at IEEE ICRA 2024 and received significant international attention.

Presentation of Research to European Leadership

The Drones4Safety self-recharging drone technology was presented to the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, and the Director of CINEA, Paloma Aba Garrote, demonstrating the strategic importance and European impact of research conducted at DHFE.

Leadership of Major National and European Research Projects

DHFE coordinates and participates in several high-impact research projects, including Drones4Energy, Drones4Safety, Robots4Green, and FreeFly, attracting substantial national and European research funding while strengthening international collaboration.

Launch of the Robots4Green project

DHFE is developing next-generation robotic and drone technologies for power-line maintenance, infrastructure inspection, autonomous operation, and green energy applications. The project supports the green transition while advancing the state of the art in aerial robotics and autonomous systems.

Strong International Visibility and Media Impact

Research from DHFE has been featured by international and national media outlets, including Reuters, DR, TV2, Ingeniøren, and numerous technology news platforms, increasing the global visibility and societal impact of SDU research.

See also

Head of SDU Digital and High-Frequency Electronics

Prof. Emad Samuel Malki Ebeid

T   +45 6550 2481

esme@sdu.dk

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Last Updated 21.09.2026