QinetiQ demos a simulated squadron of self-organizing UAVs

British security and military contractor QinetiQ has just come out with what it's calling the first system of self-organizing UAVs. In a recent demo, an autonomous BAC1-11 twin-jet plane (pictured) controlled a separate group of simulated UAVs to carry out a simulated ground attack on a moving target. During the trial run, a human crew was inside the lead plane, making sure that there wasn't any disasters, simulated or otherwise. When combined with the company's previous inventions that include the Millimeter Wave scanning device and that tiny GPS tracking unit (we're guessing that could be put into some sort of projectile), all outfitted onto a whole UAV squadron -- we're pretty sure that'd make for one heck of a recon unit.

[Via The Inquirer]

[CK @ Nov 29th 2006 10:18PM]

weren't
;)

[Daviel @ Nov 29th 2006 10:20PM]

can't wait to hear the "i, for one..." joke.
lol
this is really cool, though.

[JP @ Nov 29th 2006 11:06PM]

I, for one, welcome our UAVO's.

[fubar @ Nov 29th 2006 11:50PM]

Daviel--you have to admit, this puts a whole new spin on the "overlords" part of it....

[Jarno Peschier @ Nov 30th 2006 4:41AM]

Anyone else thinking Hammerheads here...? ;-)
http://www.amazon.com/Hammerheads-Dale-Brown/dp/0425126455

[shelby @ Nov 30th 2006 8:52AM]

Unfortunately, the UAVs that were not the BAC1-11 were simulated, 'flying' over 'virtual' south west england.

Were they real UAVs, this would be much cooler. (or distressing, depending on your view of flying robot overlords.)

[Cyrus Farivar @ Nov 30th 2006 11:25AM]

Hrm, I guess we read a little too fast. Good eye. Sorry about that.

[LS @ Dec 1st 2006 7:42PM]

ahhh come on if it's made by us brits the chances are we'll sell the damn tech to some other country - ohh lets say the US - let them work out the bugs and make it a real product and then license back the tech for an inflated price

god bless us working uk taxpayers, always at least twice the mug