Scientists from our Computer Science department have created a new system that allows groups of drones to fly together more quickly and safely than ever before.
The technology, called T-STAR, gives drones the ability to work as a coordinated swarm, adapting their flight paths in real time to avoid collisions and keep moving efficiently towards their goals.
Drone swarms are widely seen as the future of robotics, with potential uses ranging from search and rescue to environmental monitoring and even parcel delivery.
But until now, drones have often had to choose between flying quickly and staying safe when navigating through cluttered or unpredictable environments.
The T-STAR system changes this, allowing drones to combine both speed and safety.
Instead of relying on rigid pre-set routes, T-STAR enables drones to share information with each other as they fly.
This means each drone knows where its neighbours are and can instantly adjust its path if a potential conflict arises.
In practice, this allows the swarm to move more like a flock of birds, with each drone keeping a safe distance while still flying at high speeds.
Tests carried out in both computer simulations and laboratory experiments have shown that drones using T-STAR complete their tasks in less time than those using conventional methods.
They also maintain smoother flight paths and avoid the sudden stops or slowdowns that typically affect drone swarms when navigating obstacles.
This innovation could open the door to new uses of drone swarms in real-world scenarios.
Faster, safer, and more reliable drones could help save lives in emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, or wildfires, where quick action is vital.
They could also support large-scale monitoring of forests and farmland or improve delivery systems by enabling groups of drones to work together efficiently.
Our Department of Computer Science is among the top 10 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025. Visit our Computer Science webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
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