( Wired ) -- Unmanned aircraft , for all their utility , are fairly simple beasts . They 're good at taking direction , but they 're not so good at processing information on their own . Now the Air Force figures it 's time for drones to get a lot smarter , especially as they take off or land . As anyone who 's ever flown knows , the runway is a crowded place . Planes on the runway queue up to get airborne . Planes in the air have to coordinate with Air Traffic Control for the order in which they can safely land , taking precautions not to get in anyone 's way until it 's their turn . There 's a fair amount of information to rapidly process in order to avoid collisions and other accidents . Pilots can handle that information load . Drones ca n't . Yet . It 's one of the big reasons why the Federal Aviation Administration has been so reluctant to allow unmanned aircraft to fly over the U.S . Even robotic flights over relatively unpopulated areas along the southern border have been canceled when there 's the most routine technical hiccups . On Tuesday , the Air Force Research Laboratory at Ohio 's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said it 'll soon solicit engineers to design an algorithm to allow drones to `` integrate seamlessly '' with piloted planes for takeoff and landing . In the algorithm-driven future that the labs want to build , drones will be equipped a database of terminal procedures ; link up with Air Traffic Control ; and `` recognize the intent of other aircraft . '' For instance : aircraft landing on parallel runways can appear to be on a collision course before they turn and land . Right now , a drone would simply perceive that a plane 's trajectory is going to remain unchanged , making it a threat for collision . But a capable algorithm would let the drone process Air Traffic Control information like basic airfield maps to know that there 's no actual danger from the oncoming piloted plane . `` The developed algorithm ( s ) , optimally , would require no more a priori information than a human pilot , '' the labs instruct . `` Intent analysis should be accurate , reliable and real-time , enabling quick and appropriate decisions that are necessary in this time critical environment . '' There 's a clear commercial application here . As Wired mentioned on Wednesday , FedEx is starting to think about an airfleet of linked-up drones that can fly in formation at the direction of a piloted aircraft . Building algorithms that can let drones process complex information in congested airspace sounds like a useful step toward that futuristic cargo fleet . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2010 Wired.com .
Systems that process complex information in congested environments could be useful . Air Force Research Laboratory will train engineers to create drones that ` ` integrate seamlessly '' He is talking about an airfleet of linked - up aircraft that can fly in formation .