from the drones-of-a-feather-flock-together dept.
A West Virginia University mathematics researcher has developed an algorithm to mobilize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in team missions.
The new technology allows a team of UAVs to fly autonomously to complete complex coordinated missions.
"Someone on the ground sets an area to be scanned by the UAVs. Within the area, the person selects different priority points for information-gathering. The algorithm then sets what coordinates are surveyed by which UAVs, and determines a plan for them so that it also covers as much of the area as possible without depleting the battery life," said Marjorie Darrah, whose project is funded by the Army Research Laboratory.
"The technology is not bypassing the ground station, not taking over the flight plan. It is just giving the ground station help to complete a complex mission with three planes at once."
The new genetic algorithm is designed for the Raven, a UAV used by United States military and Special Operations Command as well as military operations in Austria, Estonia, Italy, Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @09:56AM
Kill Zuck.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:30PM
Sort of a travelling salesman problem, but with fixed wing aircraft in a small space.
Sooner or later the UAVs won't need a ground crew to launch, recover and service them... that will make for a much more interesting algorithm to cover a given target space.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1) by Francis on Wednesday December 21 2016, @07:22PM
That right there is why this research shouldn't be allowed to make its way onto the battlefield. Enough mistakes are made when humans are controlling the drones, at least humans can refuse to fire the missile if they think that doing so would be a war crime. I wouldn't trust an AI to know or care about that, especially given the rules-lawyering that's gone on with things like torture and enemy combatants versus citizens.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:56PM
These UAVs aren't killing people (except when they accidentally crash into them), Ravens are for surveillance - Big Brother watching the bad guys.
It's o.k. you can trust them, they're with the government.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @06:56PM
I for one can't wait until all the drone-related AI makes it into video games and the video game AIs make it into drones. Real life RTS gaming through fleets of mini drones and RC ground vehicles? Well, we have the tech for that now and no one is doing it. We'll probably end up with augmented reality versions instead. Looking through your smartphone to see the battle raging on around you. Maybe everything has already been locked up in various patents by different companies? I was reading research papers on this sort of thing around 9 years ago...