By
Peter Meehan
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A
digital image of how groups of unmanned aircraft could work
as part of Australia’s defence arsenal in the future.
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SWARMS
of small expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles may become part of
Australia’s defence arsenal in the future.
Mathematician Alex Ryan, from the Defence Science and Technology
Organisation, is part of a research team using advanced mathematics
and state-of-the-art computing to design “collective intelligence”
for groups or swarms of UAVs.
“We’re working at the edge of chaos,” Mr Ryan said. “There’s a
fine line between systems which are too ordered and stagnate
or systems which are too chaotic and collapse into total disorder.
“Swarm behaviour as such is not what we are after. Swarms – like
the notorious killer bees – concentrate on attacking a single
enemy in vast numbers.
Our aim is rather to develop an intelligent and communicating
network.” The UAVs could be used for surveillance of possible
enemy activity, as small weapons carriers or to investigate areas
too dangerous for human entry.
Mr Ryan said many small, simple and inexpensive UAVs were more
practical than larger, more sophisticated vehicles.
However, he believed much work needed to be done to reduce the
number of people who control each unmanned vehicle. “At present,
each unmanned aircraft needs a ground crew of about 30 people.”
Australia’s geograpical features also place unique demands on
the design of UAVs, Mr Ryan said.
