In Budapest, Hungary, scientists at Eötvös Loránd University have created a swarm of 100 autonomous drones that operate without centralized control. Drawing inspiration from the collective behavior of animals like pigeons and wild horses, these drones communicate and coordinate independently, enabling real-time collision avoidance and trajectory planning. This innovation has the potential to enhance efficiency in fields such as meteorology, land surveying, and precision agriculture. However, concerns have been raised about the potential misuse of autonomous drones in military applications, which could escalate conflicts and complicate accountability for lethal actions. Despite these concerns, the researchers believe their technology has numerous beneficial applications and are exploring ways to scale up the drones' capabilities to accommodate up to 5,000 units. apnews.com
Similarly, researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a swarm robotics system based on how ants release pheromones into their environment. This bio-inspired communication system allows individual robots to communicate with one another in remote areas, enabling them to notify others of issues that need attention, such as a burst pipe. The system uses light to emulate pheromone release, called the COSΦ system, and has been tested in real-world environments, including underwater and during intense weather conditions. Simulations have shown the system to be highly effective and accurate, with diverse group behaviors among the swarm robots. The team is now looking to move onto real-world tests and sees light as a potential source of data transfer for small packets, allowing thousands of small devices to communicate without cellular signal. rtinsights.com