A swarm of drones patrolling over natural areas, hovering through the air like a flock of birds. It sounds futuristic, but that is exactly what the fire brigade in Lancashire, northern England, is already experimenting with.
The drones, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), can independently detect fires, communicate with each other, and then release extinguishing agents or water. Together with the University of Bristol, the Lancashire fire brigade is testing such drone swarms to combat forest fires. The United Kingdom also struggled with wildfires this summer. With the push of a button, multiple drones can take off to fight them.
"Such a swarm is inspired by nature," says Georgios Tzoumas from the University of Bristol. "Just like you see birds flying in groups through the air: a collective mechanism that shares information with each other. There is no single leader and yet they do not collide. We can do the same with drones: multiple drones cooperating and communicating with each other in the air."
'We see fire'
The devices are programmed to know at what altitude to fly and which area to cover. They collect and process information and have built-in intelligence that can detect fire and understand that there is a blaze. The swarm then communicates with firefighters, who monitor the operation behind a screen. The drone can make a suggestion, such as: 'We see fire, shall we get closer?'
This innovative drone technology is urgently needed by the fire brigade, says Tim Murrell, who leads the team of the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. After 37 years in the fire service, he sees forest fires becoming larger and more intense.
According to Murrell, the fire brigade needs more people and equipment. "Especially because besides wildfires, we also have to fight house fires that arise more quickly due to drought and heat. Climate change has a big impact on our work. But if we can find fires quickly, then the fire is still smaller and therefore easier to stop."
Humans remain involved
The fire brigade has been using drones for years, also in the Netherlands, but usually this involves a single drone controlled from the ground by one pilot.
"What we ultimately want to achieve," Murrell explains, "is that the artificial intelligence of the swarm can estimate which direction the fire will go. AI can calculate that based on, for example, wind direction and the layout of the area. Because AI also learns from previous missions, the system keeps improving."
There will always be a human coordinator who makes decisions together with the swarm, for example about what gets priority. The drones can devise a plan of action themselves, but fire personnel can say that there is a different priority.
What also makes the swarm technology suitable for firefighting, Murrell adds, is that different types of drones can be deployed in the group. You can equip the group with larger drones that can carry 50 to 100 kilos of material, but also with small light drones that, for example, have better radars to detect hotspots.
Military experiments
The military is also extensively experimenting with autonomous drone swarms: a technology that could mean a revolution on the battlefield but can also be destructive.
NATO, the US, and Chinese armies have already published videos of experiments with drone swarms. In Europe, several defense companies have meanwhile conducted successful tests, where one operator can control up to eighteen drones simultaneously.
Tzoumas, who earned his doctorate on swarm technology and now collaborates with the Lancashire fire brigade, wants to assist only the fire service and prevent the damage of wildfires. He grew up in Greece, where forest fires came close to his home. So far, he has flown with a maximum of thirteen drones in one swarm formation. He expects that number to be twenty or thirty in the near future.