Video released from Zhejiang University, China shows drones maneuvering between trees in dense forest.
QUICK FACTS:
- Recently released footage from Zhejiang University in China featured 10 lightweight drones that are able to move in coordination, even following a target when it hides from view.
- According to a report by The Sun, The “pack” of drones is a “terrifying” sight as it shows off its real-time adjustments and an algorithm that updates every few milliseconds used for navigation.
- Experts have said that this can be used for surveying remote wildlife populations or even searching for survivors in disaster zones.
- The testing using a human subject was what The Sun called a “chilling turn of events” and “prompted concerns that they could [be] put to sinister use,” with the publication reporting “fears they could soon be primed to kill.”
- The lack of need for GPS signal means that they can be used even in areas without adequate satellite coverage for other means of tracking.
- In addition to their other impressive features, the bots could focus on the man attempting to out-maneuver them, even when he hid behind objects to shield himself from the cameras.
EXPERTS’ TAKE ON THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT:
- Dr. Jonathan Aitken from Sheffield University called the drone development an “excellent achievement,” saying, “To achieve a quality map, built from a distributed collection of robots, of the detail demonstrated is an excellent piece of engineering.”
- “To couple this with the additional successful navigation and avoidance of obstacles, and critically other members of the swarm, is an excellent achievement,” Aitken went on to say.
- Researchers who gave a statement to the journal Science Robotics also weighed in, saying, “The swarms’ capability of navigation and coordination in these films has attracted and inspired numerous researchers. Here, we take a step forward to such a future.”
BACKGROUND:
- China’s tech has caused concern in the past with their terrifying “suicide drones” unveiled in Beijing last year, which are equipped with highly-explosive charges designed to rip through tanks and armored vehicles.
- These drones caused questions from Pentagon officials about what China’s drone program might be capable of.
