Autonomous Drone Technology for Safe Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Press Release /

Land mines and unexploded ordnance still pose a lethal danger long after a war’s end and hinder or even prevent the use of entire regions. One third of Ukraine’s territory, for instance, is affected at present and there is urgent need for action to reclaim this land. Together with research and industry partners, Fraunhofer IFF has developed an innovative drone solution that detects unexploded ordnance safely, rapidly and efficiently. The technology combines high-resolution sensor data with autonomous aircraft.

The technology comprises two system configurations: the basic AutoDrone system and an AutoDrone swarm system. Both solutions facilitate the planning and execution of autonomous flight missions, either with a single drone or with a drone swarm.

Scans are taken with high accuracy during the basic AutoDrone system’s flight, even over rugged terrain. The drone automatically flies preconfigured routes at a constant altitude and speed to ensure maximum data quality. The high performance of the Fraunhofer IFF’s development was demonstrated in extensive tests. An exact low altitude (50 cm above the ground), low vibrations and high speeds (3 m/s to 5 m/s) make it possible to generate precise sensor data for the detection of ordnance for disposal. The sensor data are synchronously georeferenced with RTK positioning data. This gives geophysicists a reliable dataset to assess potential hazardous points.

The AutoDrone swarm system goes a step further: It enables automated unexploded ordnance detection using several drones deployed simultaneously in a swarm. The individual drones are equipped with specific sensor technology to be able to set flight parameters optimally for detecting the particular type of unexploded ordnance. This boosts the informativeness of the fused sensor data significantly, enabling detection of hard-to-spot nonmetallic mines as well. When identical sensor modules are used, a drone swarm can reduce the time searching contaminated areas significantly. An intelligent communication strategy ensures coordinated control of all drones, even during partial signal loss. Enhanced obstacle detection and real-time adaptive flight path adjustment are integrated for reliable autonomous operation, even over complex terrain. The data acquired are subsequently turned over to the explosive ordnance disposal service for further operational planning.

In addition to the explosive ordnance disposal use scenario, the system can also be employed as a mobile sensor platform for other uses, such as geophysical surveys that require precise sensor data acquisition at low altitude.

AutoDrone technology provides a state-of-the-art technology that makes a significant contribution to safety and efficiency in explosive ordnance disposal.