The development of AI-powered drone swarms has experienced significant acceleration, particularly amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Recent innovations have eliminated the traditional requirement of one operator per drone, marking a crucial breakthrough in operational efficiency. These developments utilise human-in-loop and trustworthy AI systems to achieve advanced autonomy through onboard intelligent agents.
These autonomous systems can independently assess their surroundings, share target data with other drones, and make mission-priority decisions without constant communication with control stations. This advancement notably addresses a critical vulnerability in swarm-based warfare systems, where electronic warfare tactics often overwhelm communication systems.
Sourabh Nyalkalkar, Practice Head of Innovation Products at GlobalData, explains: “In an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, drone warfare has emerged as a pivotal element in modern military operations, with armed forces globally embracing unmanned aerial vehicles for a diverse range of tactical and reconnaissance missions.”
Defence industry leader Thales recently demonstrated their capabilities in this space, showcasing a full-scale deployment of drone swarms with multiple autonomy levels. The company’s innovations have positioned them as one of the sector’s leading pioneers, according to Technology Foresights, GlobalData’s innovation intelligence platform.
Patent analysis reveals striking growth in the field, with over half of technology patents being granted in just the past three years. While major corporations hold the majority share, startup activity is rapidly increasing. Ukrainian startup Swarmer recently secured £2.2 million in funding for their AI-based swarm control technology, Styx, whilst US-based EchelonAI has merged with Skyfire.
The innovation landscape extends beyond defence applications, with significant developments emerging from the telecoms sector.
“Telecommunication companies are rapidly adopting drone swarms for various applications, including network optimisation, infrastructure monitoring, and emergency coverage deployment in critical areas,” notes Nyalkalkar.
Over 100 companies are actively innovating in this space. While defence giants like Thales, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems advance military applications, specialist drone manufacturers including SZ DJI, Skydio, and Tevel are making substantial contributions.
Major telecoms players such as Qualcomm, Ericsson, Verizon, and AT&T are developing their own drone swarm solutions, whilst geospatial solution providers like Here and Geofrenzy continue expanding the technology’s capabilities.
The commercial sector is also embracing the technology, with retail and logistics giants including Amazon, Walmart, and UPS developing autonomous master-slave drone networks for last-mile delivery. In the agricultural sector, companies like Nileworks are creating innovative solutions for crop monitoring.
“As drone swarm control technologies continue to evolve beyond traditional entertainment and light shows, this dynamic field promises exciting developments and transformative applications across multiple industries in the coming years,” Nyalkalkar concludes.
See also: Jailbreaking AI robots: Researchers sound alarm over security flaws
Want to learn about the IoT from industry leaders? Check out IoT Tech Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Cyber Security & Cloud Expo, AI & Big Data Expo, Intelligent Automation Conference, Edge Computing Expo, and Digital Transformation Week.
Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.
