Research Seminar by Dr Timothy Merritt | Drone Swarms for a Safe and Secure Society

Drone Swarms for a Safe and Secure Society

How can we harness the potential of drone swarms to create a safer and more secure society? Multi-drone systems hold the promise of revolutionizing critical operations such as infrastructure security and search-and-rescue missions by enabling scalable and efficient aerial coverage. However, scaling from the traditional one-pilot-one-drone model to multi-drone operations introduces substantial complexity, surpassing the cognitive capabilities of human operators. Addressing these challenges requires the development of advanced user interfaces and AI-driven systems that streamline decision-making and reduce cognitive load. This talk presents our research on designing and evaluating human-centered interfaces for controlling drone swarms in high-stakes environments. Drawing on iterative prototyping and expert evaluations, we identify key principles and features that enhance usability and operational effectiveness. I will highlight early insights from our newly funded project, which integrates large language models (LLMs) and precise path-planning algorithms to develop “closed-loop reasoning” systems. These systems dynamically generate mission plans using natural language input, reducing mission planning times from minutes to seconds. By blending human intuition with AI capabilities, our approach advances the state-of-the-art in drone swarm technology, enabling rapid, adaptive, and reliable responses to complex challenges in critical domains.

About the Speaker