Research from Oregon State University (OSU) announced that they were able to control and manage 100+ autonomous ground and ariel robots using a single supervisor.
The research
Researchers, especially tech giants in the Robotics and Intelligent Systems world always questioned, “Can a single human control a swarm of robots, drones completing tasks in real-world environments.” For that yes; Julie A. Adams along with her team; Joshua Hamell and Phillip Walker conducted a Four-year research to show the possibility of this nature.
The study, conducted as part of the “OFFSET” program spearheaded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the United States, marks a noteworthy advancement in the realm of swarm robotics. It entailed the deployment of swarms comprising as many as 250 autonomous vehicles within urban environments.
Single Hand Controls Multiple Drones on Field
The leader of the robot swarm utilizes a diverse group of robots to carry out various missions. Throughout the ultimate field exercise, they gathered both objective and subjective data concerning the leader’s performance. An algorithm assessing workload across five components was employed to analyze this information. Despite frequently reaching overload levels, the leader managed to accomplish the missions, even amidst difficult operational circumstances.
The research results reveal that a lone “swarm commander” can supervise more than 100 independent aerial and ground robots, substantially mitigating the workload associated with such tasks. This enhanced efficiency is achievable through the fusion of existing technologies with innovative autonomy and control mechanisms
Commercial Revolution
“We don’t see a lot of delivery drones yet in the United States, but some companies have been deploying them in other countries”
Julie A. Adams
Julie A. Adams from the OSU College of Engineering has delineated the potential for widespread control of autonomous ground and aerial robots, primarily drones. This discovery holds considerable implications for reshaping the future of travel, transportation, and delivery and bolstering defence and security initiatives while alleviating individual workload burdens. Globally, particularly in major technological cities like Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, and Seoul and Busan in South Korea, robots play a pivotal role in providing service support. This study lays the groundwork for enhancing and efficiently managing such systems on a large scale, presenting substantial business benefits in the process.
