Tests carried out in the Czech Republic by a consortium have successfully tested the AUDROS system, which enables drones to intercept foreign drones in a net, according to reports by UAS Weekly and Dronelife.
The AUDROS project was carried out by a Czech-Polish consortium: BizGarden (Czech Republic), Cervi Robotics / Dronehub (Poland), Fly4Future (Czech Republic), GINA Software (Czech Republic), with the participation of the Military Technical Institute from Brno and the Military Research Institute from Brno. The project was also implemented in close cooperation with the Czech prison service, as one of the basic applications of the system is to secure the sky above prisons to prevent smuggling and smuggling from the air.
The Eagle One drone designed by Fly4Future was used in the tests. Upon detecting an unwanted intruder in the sky, the autonomous drone takes off from the docking station. After approaching a foreign drone, Eagle One releases a special net from the chassis in which it catches the enemy. Thanks to this solution – as opposed to the solutions based on shooting down or electric paralysis of a foreign drone – the AUDROS system ensures full safety for people and property on the ground after the annihilation of a flying intruder.
Importantly, the mission can continue without having to land after the first capture. If the system detects a second alien UAV, the hunter drone can intervene immediately. The autonomous system is equipped with artificial intelligence that controls and manages the system. Thanks to this, the need for human intervention is minimal. The task of artificial intelligence is to estimate the size and weight of the intruder drone and the chances of catching it.
The basis for the AUDROS system is the hub, i.e. the docking station of the Polish company Dronehub, in which the drone is permanently placed. Thanks to the advanced technology used in the hub, the drone remains ready to take flight, and after its completion, the used battery is autonomously connected to charging. Thanks to this, the unmanned aerial vehicle can carry out flights in a continuous mode, without the need to involve the operator to replace the battery.
The AUDROS (AUtonomous DROne System) project, implemented in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), started in 2020. Its goal, in addition to creating a system for intercepting drone-intruders, is also to develop a system to combat CBRN threats – chemical, biological and radiological.
“Our system can have very wide applications, as threats from the sky are an increasing challenge for security and safety services. AUDROS can be used to protect strategic objects or critical infrastructure, it can be used to protect the sky against terrorist attacks during mass events or to ensure the safety of VIPs” – says Jan Orava, a Project Manager from BizGarden.
(Image: Dronehub)
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