Autonomous Robotics

History

2024: Creation of software for UAV swarm control

The Russian company Autonomous Robotics has created software to control a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of performing tasks autonomously. This became known in early October 2024 after the development was entered into the register of domestic software . The economic effect of the use of such technologies by 2030 may exceed ₽150 billion.

According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a project to create a "smart swarm" of drones has been underway since 2019. The main goal of the development is to ensure the possibility of autonomous performance of missions by a group of UAVs without the direct participation of operators.

Defense News

Oleg Kovylin, General Director of Autonomous Robotics LLC, noted that the new software allows it to be installed on any drones equipped with an on-board computer. This makes it possible to form a "smart swarm" capable of independently making decisions on trajectory control and using artificial intelligence to perform the tasks.

The company's technical director Vasily Zhurin explained that the mission for drones is set at the "mission control station." After setting the task and determining the departure area, the drones are autonomously advanced to the given zone and fulfill the order. The number of drones in the swarm is not limited, which ensures the scalability of the system.

The development has a wide range of applications. In particular, the ministry agriculture Russia requires at least 30 thousand drones for monitoring agricultural land and high-precision use of herbicides. The use of swarm technology will solve this problem without the need to involve a large number of operators.

Konstantin Ankilov, General Director of the TMT Consulting analytical agency, stressed that smart swarm technology could become the basis for creating a "seamless sky" project, in which all drones in airspace will be subordinate to a single mission control center.^[1]

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