A systematic swarm of flying robots, such as the Swarming Micro Air Vehicle Network (SMAVNET) project that is currently being developed, could be the key to providing support to disaster areas and persons in distress.
The swarms of flying robots are designed to create a communications relay in order to create a working network that can be installed quickly and used in areas where terrain is difficult to navigate.
Developers of the SMAVNET project stress that simplicity and not complexity is key to the success of the swarming communications robots.
In order for the flying robotic projectiles to successfully carry out one main task, the robots need a simple and concrete design, as well as light-weight and low cost for production purposes.
The idea is to create a swarm of flying robots that utilize on-board controllers to simultaneously exchange information with one another or, in a nutshell, work as one entity.
The robots, spread out and communicating over a certain distance, would then be able to create a network capable of relaying vital information to both neighboring robots and a home base or, more specifically, to those controlling the flying robots.
How the flying robots work
Developers believe that a viable communications network can be achieved utilizing just 10 flying robots that are designed to work together using a swarm algorithm.
The robots themselves are designed to be lightweight, safe and inexpensive so that they can be continually developed and used in larger applications.
Prototype SMAVNET flying robots have been constructed out of Expanded Polypropylene and weigh no more than 420 grams with a wingspan of 80 centimeters.
A small electric motor is mounted on the back of the device and powered by a LiPo battery that can hold an independent charge for up to 30 minutes.
Two pressure sensors and a single gyroscope steered by a micro-controller are installed for navigation purposes and the flying robot receives swarm algorithms using a USB Wi-Fi adapter that is connected to an on-board Toradex Colibri PXA270 CPU board running Linux.
Flight trajectories are logged using a u-blox LEA-5H GPS module, while a ZigBee (Xbee PRO) transmitter is used to send data to and from the robot.
The SMAVNET robots represent a revolutionary advancement in how rescue workers and governments will be able to respond to disasters and other situations that require immediate information in inaccessible areas.
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