One of the biggest revolutions over the past 15 years of war has been the rise of the drones — remotely piloted vehicles that do everything from conduct air strikes to dismantle roadside bombs. Now, a new generation of drones is coming. Only this time they are autonomous — able to operate on their own without humans controlling them from somewhere with a joy stick. Some autonomous machines are run by artificial intelligence which allows them to learn, getting better each time. It’s early in the revolution and no one knows exactly where it is headed, but the potential exists for all missions considered too dangerous or complex for humans to be turned over to autonomous machines that can make decisions faster and go in harm’s way without any fear. Think of it as the coming swarm, and if that sounds like the title of a sci-fi mini-series, well, stay tuned. As we’re about to show you, it’s already a military reality.
Also see related articles:
– Perdix 100-Drone Swarm Dropped from Jets, Plans Its Own Moves, https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603337/a-100-drone-swarm-dropped-from-jets-plans-its-own-moves/
– Video of 100 Swarm Drone Drop Test and Formation Maneuver, https://www.dvidshub.net/video/504622/perdix-swarm-demo-oct-2016