This new drone swarm speeds through forests with unprecedented ease
This technological leap shows just how far drone and autonomous navigation and manoeuvrability tech has come in just a few years.
Key takeaways
- A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) based navigation system has been unveiled that enables swarms of lightweight drones to fly together without crashing into one another or obstacles - even in challenging places such as forests.
- A localisation algorithm then creates a 3D image of the scene and regularly sets the drone targets to reach within that scene.
- Perhaps most importantly though the algorithm doesn’t require GPS signals to locate itself, meaning it can be used in a broader range of places where such signals are low or even non-existent.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'This new drone swarm speeds through forests with unprecedented ease', 311 Institute, 23 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/this-new-drone-swarm-speeds-through-forests-with-unprecedented-ease/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) based navigation system has been unveiled that enables swarms of lightweight drones to fly together without crashing into one another or obstacles - even in challenging places such as forests. And, as you can see from the video it’s a spectacle to behold. It's also slightly scary given the fact that China is also trying to develop drone swarms capable of travelling at hypersonic speed that can evade the latest and most sophisticated drone defence systems ... but that's all another story.
While most drones can compute their location and find a path to follow using a multitude of sensors, which can be expensive and unwieldy, shrinking down a drone often involves getting rid of key components which then impact its ability to travel safely, so Xin Zhou at Zhejiang University in China and his colleagues have developed a completely new method that lets them reduce the drones size and hardware requirements while keeping its computing nous intact.
Watch the drones in action
In the experiment the palm sized 300 gram drones use off the shelf computer components powered by a 100 gram battery that can keep them aloft for up to 11 minutes, and they have a camera that feeds real time footage to their on board processing units.
A localisation algorithm then creates a 3D image of the scene and regularly sets the drone targets to reach within that scene. It looks out for obstacles, and other drones, then readjusts the flight pattern in real time accordingly. Then it plans the most computationally efficient route through the area.
This algorithm accounts for the largest share of the drone’s processing power, but it doesn’t require the specialist processors that other drone navigation systems do, and that’s a breakthrough in itself. Perhaps most importantly though the algorithm doesn’t require GPS signals to locate itself, meaning it can be used in a broader range of places where such signals are low or even non-existent.
“To achieve a quality map, built from a distributed collection of robots, of the detail demonstrated is an excellent piece of engineering,” says Jonathan Aitken at the University of Sheffield, UK. “To couple this with the additional successful navigation and avoidance of obstacles, and critically other members of the swarm, is an excellent achievement.”
Journal reference: Science Robotics, DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abm5954
FAQ
Why does this matter?
This technological leap shows just how far drone and autonomous navigation and manoeuvrability tech has come in just a few years.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on AI and intelligence and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Citations scholar.google.com.hk
- Jonathan m aitken sheffield.ac.uk
- DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abm5954 science.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 23 June 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). This new drone swarm speeds through forests with unprecedented ease. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/this-new-drone-swarm-speeds-through-forests-with-unprecedented-ease/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.