A swarm of drones could be used to tackle offshore oil spills, researchers at the University of Buffalo said. Souma Chowdhury, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and his team simulated a five-drone swarm that can map a nearly 1km oil spill in just nine minutes. The research was published online by Nature on June 29.
A swarm of drones could be used to tackle offshore oil spills, researchers at the University of Buffalo said. Souma Chowdhury, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and his team simulated a five-drone swarm that can map a nearly 1km oil spill in just nine minutes. To do so, they created a method for the drones to quickly record whether they are over oil, water or the edge of the spill and quickly share the information with others in the swarm, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Science and Technology Forum heard.