A college near where I live has a "branch" specifically about autonomous heli's research. I've been there and seen all the heli's in the pictures[X(] and heard them talk about the purposes and about the helicopters specific tasks and so forth. It was amazing. I think my second two years of college(just graduated HS) I might join the program.
http://www.cse.usf.edu/USL/uslindex.htm