German AI robotics startup Agile Robots said Thursday that a new funding round valued the company at $8.5 billion (7.7 billion euros), providing additional firepower for a global expansion.

Operating a drone manually requires pilots to watch a screen while coordinating controls. This divides attention between the aircraft and its surroundings. Researchers are exploring ways to make drone operation more intuitive and less dependent on continuous visual monitoring. A wearable interface developed at Jeonbuk National University combines hand gestures for sending commands with abdominal vibrations that indicate the drone's position relative to the user.