What if drones could “hear” like us? A team from the University of Southampton is testing something revolutionary: a artificial nervous system for advanced drones that uses fiber optics to constantly monitor the structural health of the aircraft. A technology that could radically change the way drones operate.
Innovation that imitates nature
Doctor Chris Holmes and his team ofUniversity of Southampton they developed a system that replicates the functioning of the human nervous system in drones. Using optical fibers as “nerves,” this technology allows continuous monitoring of the structural health of the aircraft during flight.
The novelty of this approach lies in its ability to provide real-time updates through light signals, avoiding the radio interference problems that often plague traditional electronic systems on advanced drones.
Constant and reliable monitoring
Currently, advanced payload-carrying drones must make frequent stops for safety checks, interrupting their missions and increasing operating costs. The system developed in Southampton allows continuous monitoring during flight.
Doctor Martynas Beresna, another key member of the team, explains that this technology not only reduces the workload for ground teams but significantly increases the safety of the drones.
The technology of “optical speckle”
The team developed an innovative technique called “optical spota” (the technical name is “speckle”). This system creates specific light patterns that vary based on the stresses and strains detected by the drone’s “nervous system.”
These patterns are then interpreted by artificial intelligence to assess the drone’s condition, allowing teams on the ground to spot potential problems without having to land the aircraft. In other words, advanced drones constantly “talk” by visually narrating their condition.
From the lab to the sky
The first tests were conducted on a drone designed by the university's students, including the recent graduate in aerospace engineering Toby King Cline. The drone, originally designed to carry life-saving equipment such as defibrillators, proved to be an ideal platform for testing the fiber optic system.
King-Cline commented:
Real-time data showed us that the technology could keep drones in the air longer without requiring large ground support teams.
This innovation could have a significant impact on the commercial drone industry, which is expected to be worth £45bn by 2030. The Southampton team plans to make the system commercially available by 2025.
Advanced Drones with “Nervous Systems”: Practical Applications Today and Tomorrow
The implementation of this technology, as mentioned, could radically transform the use of drones in various sectors. Longer and safer flights, combined with reduced operating costs, could open up new possibilities for:
- Commercial Deliveries long range;
- Rescue missions;
- Environmental monitoring;
- Industrial inspections.
The ability to continuously monitor the structural health of the drone during flight also opens up interesting scenarios for several future applications. For example, drones could:
- To carry heavier loads with greater safety;
- Operate in more difficult weather conditions;
- Carry out longer missions without interruptions;
- Reduce maintenance costs.
Advanced Drones: The Good Year? Next One
With commercialization expected in 2025, this technology could soon become the standard for advanced drones. The combination of continuous monitoring, increased autonomy, and improved safety suggests we are at the dawn of a new era in unmanned aviation.
It’s a story as old as time: sooner or later, everything that flies learns to hear. Insects, birds, bats have done it. Now it’s the turn of drones. In a laboratory in Southampton, tiny filaments of light pulse like nerves through carbon and metal structures. It’s no longer a question of if, but when these “silicon birds” will populate our skies, monitoring every microfracture of their bodies with the same natural awareness of a dragonfly checking its wings. And perhaps, in a few years, we’ll look at these drones and wonder how we managed to make them fly for so long… blind and deaf.
