Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

This proposal involves the development of technologies to enable the flight of drone swarms. Swarms are a large number of drones working together to accomplish a common goal. Swarms can be used to collect data, perform inspections, delivery, monitor situations in real-time and can even be used for entertainment. These can be applied to markets such as precision agriculture, mining, oil and gas, construction, delivery, defense, and entertainment. Swarms allow for the rapid collection of large amounts of data from numerous points and can do so in a robust, reliable manner. However, there are a number of technological advancements that are needed to make this possible. The proposed research addresses two key technical challenges: 1) obstacle and collision avoidance among UAVs; 2) robust accurate navigation for swarms of UAVs. Technical challenge 1) needs to be solved also to allow UAVs to operate safely in close proximity to each other, as well as in close proximity to the ground where unforeseen obstacles may occur. Technical challenge 2) needs to be solved to enable swarms of UAVs to operate safely in close proximity to each other. The Canadian UAV industry is growing rapidly. The proposed research will enhance the Canadian knowledge base in UAV technologies, in particular in the areas of control of swarms, obstacle and collision avoidance, and robust accurate relative navigation.