[ Swarm-O-Drone = A Drone with built –in “ Swarm Algorithm “ for collision
avoidance ]
Look out for this headline in Media within 2 / 3 years , by which time , millions of drones would
be flying overhead . Drones made by start-ups / cottage industries /
you-name-it
Even from self-assembled ( DIY )
drone components, ordered over Amazon / Flipcart / Alibaba !
Drones selling for a few thousand rupees and used for unthought-of uses and
especially for delivering
anything ordered online – even from your next door chemist ( backbone of
E Commerce ]
Even drones capable of carrying one
person from point A to point B , like an Uber / Ola
Drones flying over city buildings and over
distant deserts / jungles / rivers / mountains / in-accessible
places
How can we ensure that , in such a “ free for all “ scenario, drones do not keep
colliding with each other ?
Of course, modern aircrafts have radar-based “ Collision Avoidance Systems
“ , which alert the pilots of approaching aircrafts to take evasive action (
normally , rules re : turning to right / dipping or climbing )
EU and India have recently come
out with “ Drone Flight
Regulations “ , which envisage arrangements similar to ATC ( Air Traffic Control ) towers , to direct “ drone traffic “
That works fine when only few thousand manned Airplanes are flying over any
country at any given time and along rigidly pre-defined Air-Corridors and at predetermined heights and
which are constantly in radio contact with, at least one ATC tower at all times
( - which , using GPS
, accurately plots the position
of all the aircrafts in its vicinity and their directions and destinations )
But that won’t work when a MILLION unmanned drones are flying in all directions , and at different heights and at different speeds and at any time ! Quite like a huge Swarm / Flock of tiny birds
But how come , birds never ( or
rarely ) collide , without
communicating with each other ?
Apparently , each bird has
embedded / hardcoded into its brain , some AI software that senses the distance from
surrounding birds , the direction
of travel and speed , not only of self but also of the surrounding birds
!
A software which enables birds
to “ communicate their intentions “ to each other , without
internet
This software must be ensuring
that there is no collision despite the entire swarm rapidly changing the “ flying parameters “ in
unison
Call
it “ Swarm Algorithm
“
Moral of the story :
·
Historical method of external control ( through ATC ) just won’t work when millions
of unmanned drones are flying all
over , in a totally random
and unpredictable
fashion
·
Only thing that can work is to ban any drone that does not have embedded into it , the Swarm Algorithm ( copy
the nature ) , described above
·
Just like Industry Standards
for many industries , International Civil Aviation Organization [ ICAO ] , must
lay down “ Swarm-O-Drone
“ standards for Drone
Manufacturing Industry
It is always advisable to anticipate / envisage the “ Direction of Technology “
and come up with solutions which nullify its potential ill-effects / misuse
Swarm-O-Drone is a case in point
================================================================================
17 Nov
2017
www.hemenparekh.in /
blogs
Added on 07 May 2022 :
Important article. Timely. I remember, a drone of a photographer, disturbed honey-bees and they swarmed the event presided by a Minister in Karnataka. All the people ran for cover, including Minister.
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