In Budapest, Hungary, researchers at the Eötvös Loránd University have achieved a remarkable feat by creating a swarm of 100 autonomous drones that can maneuver through the night sky without centralized control. This groundbreaking technology is the result of over a decade of research and experimentation, guided by the collective movements of creatures from the natural world.

Decentralized Swarming Behavior

The drones in the swarm make their own real-time decisions on collision avoidance and trajectory planning, resembling the behavior of animals like pigeons in flight and wild horses on the Great Hungarian Plain. Gábor Vásárhelyi, a senior researcher at the university's Department of Biological Physics, explained, "After the drones are told what to do, we can switch off the ground control station... The drones will be able to do what they have to do just by communicating to each other."

Potential Applications and Concerns

While this technology has the potential to increase efficiency across various fields, such as meteorology, land surveying, and goods deliveries, some researchers have voiced concerns about the potential dangers of autonomous drones, particularly in military applications. Anna Konert and Tomasz Balcerzak from Lazarski University in Warsaw, Poland, warn that autonomous drones could escalate arms races, be misused by malign actors, or lead to uncertainty about accountability if errors occur.

However, the Hungarian researchers believe their technology can improve people's lives through numerous applications beyond military use. They are working on rolling out an agricultural application for precision spraying of crops and believe the technology could also play a role in decentralizing air traffic control systems as more unmanned aircraft take to the skies.