Researchers Develop Vehicle-to-Drone Autonomous Tech

The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) says it has received a U.S. patent for a system that allows autonomous vehicles to share data with and control unmanned aerial drones with no human intervention.

The control system of the automated ground vehicle locates and controls the drone, receiving data from sensors on both devices. The combined inputs helps the ground vehicle navigate rugged off-road courses and to remotely control other drones, according to the San Antonio-based research organization.

Sensors mounted on the aerial drone help detect low terrain that may be obstructed by objects in front of the ground vehicle’s sensor path. And sensors on the ground vehicle can help the drone navigate and sense tall objects that might impact its flight path.

SwRI says the technology has immediate military applications and can be used to develop future commercial systems for remote inspection systems.

The pairing of remote-controlled ground and air vehicles is not new, SwRI notes. But the group claims its patent provides a completely autonomous technology that allows both vehicles to benefit from each other’s capabilities, whereas other technologies require remote human control of one or both vehicles.

SwRI has been developing and supporting technologies for automated driving, connected vehicles and aerial drones for military and commercial clients for more than a decade. The organization says it has developed 15 automated vehicle platforms, ranging from golf carts to tractor trailers, during this time.