The organisers of the AUDROS project have announced that they have successfully tested a system that allows drones to intercept foreign vessels with the help of a dedicated network. The use of the system brings many benefits, especially for the safety of bystanders. Previous systems for eliminating foreign aircraft required shoot-downs or paralysis, which posed the risk of them falling to the ground. The solution proposed by the Polish company Dronehub represents a solution to meet societal expectations in the field of safety. The system was tested in the Czech Republic with Fly4Future’s Eagle One drone. The device monitors the airspace from the docking station and initiates a shutdown action if an intruder is detected. The Eagle One flies towards a strange ship and releases a net from the chassis into which it catches the drone. AUDROS is a step towards increasing aviation security. One of the main advantages of this solution is the possibility of liquidating several vessels one after the other without having to land between them. In addition, the system is based on AI technologies and requires minimal human intervention. The AI analyzes, among other things, the size and speed of a foreign ship and thus evaluates the percentage chance of liquidation. The hub on which the drone is based is also a charging station, which further automates the entire process and makes the proposed solution extremely innovative.
According to Mateusz Siwul, designer at DroneHub, “Operational autonomy is the future of drone technology. By using our hub, the operator’s work is reduced to a minimum, all processes are automated, which is reflected in the system’s efficiency, reliability and ease of mission execution. On safety-relevant flights, such as AUDROS, reliability and readiness for non-stop flights are crucial.”
AUDROS is a collaborative project between private actors such as the Czech BizGarden and the Polish DroneHub, as well as state institutions such as the Military Research Institute in Brno. The European Space Agency (ESA) has also participated in the cooperation.
