In its quest to develop autonomous systems, the secretive Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) under U.S. Department of Defense have demo...
In its quest to develop autonomous systems, the secretive Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) under U.S. Department of Defense have demonstrated the largest swarming of micro-drones over the China Lake in California.
The demonstration carried out in October 2016, used 103 Perdix micro-drones, released from the flare canisters of three Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.
The Perdix swarm demonstrated advanced swarm behaviors such as collective decision-making, adaptive formation flying, and self-healing.
“Due to the complex nature of combat, Perdix are not pre-programmed synchronized individuals, they are a collective organism, sharing one distributed brain for decision-making and adapting to each other like swarms in nature,” said SCO Director William Roper. “Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix, the swarm has no leader and can gracefully adapt to drones entering or exiting the team.”
These inexpensive, expendable UAVs can empower humans to make better decisions especially in a battle field, by carrying out low altitude reconnaissance missions more effectively than larger fighter jets and remote piloted aircraft.
Originally designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineering students, the Perdix drone was modified for military use by the scientists and engineers of MIT Lincoln Laboratory starting in 2013.
The sixth iteration of the Perdix was used in the October test, that confirmed the reliability of the current all-commercial-component design under potential deployment conditions—speeds of Mach 0.6, temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius, and large shocks—encountered during ejection from fighter flare dispensers.
In September 2014, Perdix was first air‐dropped from F‐16 flare canisters by the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base.
In September 2015, 90 Perdix missions were flown during U.S. Pacific Command’s Northern Edge exercise in Alaska. These included ground and maritime surveillance missions, as well as one of the first swarms containing 20 drones.
The Perdix weighs 260 g and have a wingspan of 11.6 inch with a endurance > 20 minutes.
