A SYSTEM that lets one person guide a fleet of drones could help survey crops or buildings, or identify people in search-and-rescue missions. The human operator manages the fleet, but can take over a single drone, using a tablet computer or even a smartphone. And several operators can share control. Similar technology controls drones in spectacular light shows, but this system, called MultiFlyer, allows real-time instructions rather than just preprogrammed choreography. The drones can also carry cameras or sensors. Nir Tel-Oren at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which developed MultiFlyer, says such drone fleets could provide aerial monitoring for disaster relief or agricultural surveys. They could also inspect bridges, cooling towers and power lines faster than single drones. MultiFlyer uses helicopters from Alpha Unmanned Systems in Spain, which fly for 90 minutes. The system can integrate other types of drone, though, and drones can be swapped in flight, with new ones joining as others drop out to refuel or recharge. Theoretically, the fleet can maintain a continuous presence for an unlimited period this way. Tel-Oren says the only limits to the size of the fleet are band width and the complexity of the mission.
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