Drone with its own ‘nervous system’ trialed by scientists

Scientists are testing a drone fitted with its own “nervous system” which they claim can keep it operating in the sky for longer. It was created by experts at the University of Southampton who say the system, made of optical fibers, reduces the frequency it needs to land for inspection. Cargo-carrying drones are required to make regular pitstops for manual safety checks, which limits its use and can increase operating costs. The optical fiber system developed at Southampton makes drones more efficient by continuously monitoring its structural health just like nerves in the body, said lead researcher Dr. Chris Holmes. “This is a kind of nervous system for drones,” said Dr. Holmes. “It sends back real-time information using light—rather than electricity—which avoids problems that electronic systems have with interference from radio frequencies.” Fellow Southampton scientist Dr. Martynas Beresna added, “This system not only reduces the burden on ground crews but also ensures that drones can operate more safely and efficiently.” The system uses a unique technique called optical speckle which projects specific images dependent on what the optical fiber nervous system feels. These can be interpreted using AI to assess the health of the drone, said Dr. Holmes. He added, “This speckle system keeps track of the stresses and strains on the drone, helping ground crews spot issues early without needing to land the drone as often for inspections.” The drone industry is expected to contribute up to £45billion across various sectors by 2030, according to PwC. “There’s lots of commercial potential for this technology,” added Dr. Holmes, “and we’re aiming for commercialization by 2025.” The optical fiber system has already shown promise when tested on a drone, which was developed by undergraduates at the University for a degree project. Aerospace engineering graduate Toby King-Cline, 23, who led the student team, said the technology could change the way drones are used in many industries. He added, “The drone was first developed to deliver life-saving equipment like defibrillators in emergencies, but it’s served as an excellent test platform for the optical fiber nervous system. “The live data from the fiber system showed us that the technology could keep drones operational longer without the need for extensive ground crews.” The University of Southampton team said they hope the technology will make future drones more reliable and cost-effective.