'Swarm' of More Than 100 Autonomous Robots Can Be Supervised by One Person, Research Shows

A recent study conducted in collaboration with Oregon State University has demonstrated the feasibility of supervising a "swarm" of over 100 autonomous aerial and ground robots with the oversight of just one person, significantly reducing the workload involved.

According to the research team, this breakthrough holds promise for various applications, ranging from wildland firefighting to package delivery and disaster response in urban areas, where the efficient utilization of swarms could be highly beneficial.

Supervising a Swarm of Autonomous Robots

The study has demonstrated the feasibility of supervising a "swarm" of more than 100 autonomous aerial and ground robots with the oversight of just one person, significantly reducing the workload involved.

According to the research team, this breakthrough holds promise for various applications, ranging from wildland firefighting to package delivery and disaster response in urban areas, where the efficient utilization of swarms could be highly beneficial.

Julie A. Adams, from the OSU College of Engineering, emphasized the potential business advantages of deploying delivery drones on a large scale, highlighting the necessity for a single individual to manage a considerable number of drones efficiently.

While acknowledging that their work isn't a definitive solution, Adams views it as a crucial initial step towards gathering the necessary data to support such systems effectively.

In a span of four years, researchers launched swarms of up to 250 autonomous vehicles, including multi-rotor aerial drones and ground rovers, capable of operating in complex urban environments with limited line-of-sight communication.

Adams, a co-principal investigator, led one of the swarm system integrator teams tasked with creating the infrastructure and integrating various components essential for swarm operations. That included swarm tactics, autonomy, human-swarm teaming, physical experimentation, and virtual environments.

Swarm Commander

The project aims to enable a single human, who is referred to as the "swarm commander," to deploy and manage the swarm effectively. To achieve this, researchers developed a user-friendly interface called I3, designed by collaborators at Smart Information Flow Technologies.

This interface allows the commander to control the swarm using high-level directives, akin to a quarterback calling plays in American football. Adams explained that the swarm commander does not physically control each vehicle but selects plays to be executed and makes minor adjustments if necessary.

"The idea is that the swarm commander can select a play to be executed and can make minor adjustments to it, like a quarterback would in the NFL," Adams said in a statement.

"The objective data from the trained swarm commanders demonstrated that a single human can deploy these systems in built environments, which has very broad implications beyond this project," she added.

Overall, the study's findings offer significant implications for future applications of swarm robotics, showcasing the potential for a single individual to manage large-scale operations efficiently and effectively.

The research, published in Field Robotics, is part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's OFFSET program, focusing on Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics.