Yumul, Desmel Deor D.C.

BSAeE 4-1

Introduction

A swarm is a fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that work together to

accomplish a mission (Tahir et al., 2019). These drones are equipped with rotors and are

capable of vertically hovering, taking off, and landing. Drone swarms have become a

significant area of research and development, with applications in military operations, search

and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and commercial delivery services. These

swarms utilize advanced communication protocols and cooperative algorithms to perform tasks

efficiently, reducing operational risks and increasing mission effectiveness. The concept of

drone swarming is inspired by biological swarms, such as flocks of birds or schools of fish,

where collective behavior enhances survival and efficiency. A drone swarm can be classified

in different ways depending on the level of autonomy exhibited by the individual UAVs. The

classification primarily divides these swarms into semi-autonomous and fully autonomous

categories. The level of autonomy determines the extent of human control required and the

ability of drones to make independent decisions based on real-time data.

A semi-autonomous drone operates with a combination of automation and human

intervention. While it can execute certain tasks autonomously, such as maintaining altitude,

following a global positioning system (GPS) waypoint, obstacle avoidance, and returning to

base (RTB), it still requires human input for decision-making, navigation adjustments, or

mission planning (Harwood, 2019). These drones rely on pre-programmed instructions but

depend on human operators for critical tasks, particularly in unpredictable or high-risk

environments. Semi-autonomous drones are commonly used in surveillance, infrastructure

inspections, and disaster response operations, where human oversight is necessary to ensure

precision and adaptability in mission execution.

 An autonomous drone, on the other hand, is capable of operating without human

intervention and can make decisions and adapt to its environment during the mission using

onboard sensors and artificial intelligence (AI). These UAVs utilize sophisticated machine

learning algorithms and sensor fusion techniques to navigate complex environments, detect

obstacles, and respond to dynamic changes in their surroundings. Autonomous drones are

increasingly being employed in logistics, agricultural monitoring, and defense operations due

to their ability to perform repetitive or hazardous tasks with minimal human involvement. The

integration of AI-driven decision-making processes allows these drones to optimize their

routes, enhance efficiency, and improve overall mission success rates.

The distinction between semi-autonomous and fully autonomous drones highlights the

evolution of UAV technology and its potential implications across various industries. As

advancements in AI, sensor technology, and communication networks continue to develop, the

capabilities of autonomous drone swarms will expand, leading to greater efficiency, safety, and

versatility in their applications. The ongoing research in autonomous drone systems aims to

address challenges such as energy efficiency, real-time data processing, and ethical

considerations related to autonomous decision-making. With continued innovation, drone

swarms are expected to play a crucial role in the future of automation and intelligent aerial

systems.
Classification of drones used in swarms

They can be classified in four major types, namely fixed-wing, fixed-wing hybrid,

single rotor, and multirotor. Each type has distinct characteristics, advantages, and limitations

making them suitable for different applications (Tahir et al., 2019).

Fixed-wing drones are widely used for aerial mapping and infrastructure inspection,

particularly in surveying pipelines and power lines. These have the advantage of increased

flight endurance, capable of remaining airborne for long periods of time as they commonly

accomplish surveillance missions. Single rotor drones are able to provide greater loading

capacity, making them suitable for missions which require light detection and ranging

(LiDAR)-based surveying. However, they have a higher mechanical complexity, higher

operational cost, and safety risks associated with its large propeller blades. Among all UAV

types, multirotor drones are the most accessible and commonly used. These drones include

tricopters, quadcopters, hexacopters, and octocopters that are more cost-effective and easier to

operate. However, they suffer from limited flight speed, endurance, and energy efficiency,

typically achieving a maximum flight time of 30 minutes (Garcia & Patel, 2022). In contrast to

this, advancements in hybrid technology have resulted to the Quaternium HYBRiX which is

able to fly for 8 hours 10 minutes (Airscope, 2020).

Drones can also be classified based on their intelligence. It was previously mentioned

that there are autonomous and semiautonomous drones. They can be further subdivided into a

single-layered and multi-layered swarms. Wherein single-layered swarms wherein no

communication between drone is occurring, and each drone communicates exclusively with

the control station (CS). A multi-layered swarm of drones on the other hand comprises a leader

drone that is able to communicate with the other members of the swarm, with the ground

control station being at the highest part of the layer.

Application of drone swarm technology

Security

The rise of drone technology has brough numerous benefits, however it has also

introduced new security threats, particularly from unauthorized drones that may pose risks. It

was discussed by Olsson et al. (2024) how drone swarms could be used to fight against this

type of threat. It can be used for detection and tracking through the use of radar and RF sensors,

AI-powereed vision systems, and acoustic sensors. Moreover, the neutralization and

interception of drones could be achieved by using droned equipped with electronic jamming,

collision interception, and a simple net-capturing drone would be effective in stopping

unauthorized drones.

A large facility would require a significant amount of manpower and other resources

for it to be effectively surveyed. A swarm of drones can monitor the region more efficiently

requiring minimal manual input, through automating the process of quickly sending an alert to

the control station upon detection of movement (Tahir et al., 2019). It was added that drone

swarm for indoor security and surveillance is able to enhance coverage, response time, and

efficiency of patrolling large areas while maintaining real-time updates (ZenaTech, 2025).

Management

ZenaTech also discussed how indoor drones could be used for inventory management.

These include tasks such as reading barcodes or RFID tags, offering an increase in efficiency,

accuracy, and scalability. This is valuable for large warehouses that would otherwise require

significant manual labor, reducing operating costs and enhance safety and security.

Moreover, it can be used in disaster management through damage assessment, locating

survivors, and delivering aid in affected areas. After natural disasters like earthquakes or floods,
drones can map affected areas and provide real-time images to aid in the allocation of resources.

(Hung, 2023). Lastly, drones have already been utilized in agriculture management, but using

a swarm of drones can greatly increase productivity and sustainability in farming by providing

precision crop health monitoring, automated spraying, and livestock monitoring (Hughes,

2024).

Control engineering of UAVs

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) rely on advanced control systems to ensure

stability, navigation, and efficient performance. Over time, different control techniques have

been developed, ranging from traditional linear controllers to more sophisticated adaptive and

learning-based methods. These approaches aim to improve flight stability, optimize trajectory

tracking, and enhance UAV performance under various conditions.

Classical Control Techniques

One of the most commonly used control methods in UAVs is the Proportional Integral

Derivative (PID) controller. Research has shown that PD and PID controllers perform well in

stabilizing UAV flight, while simpler P and PI controllers are not as effective (Kumar et al.,

2019). To further enhance stability, techniques such as gravity-compensated PID (Patel &

Singh, 2020) and PID cascade control have been introduced, improving altitude and trajectory

tracking (Rodriguez et al., 2021). Other classical control methods include Linear Quadratic

Regulator (LQR) and Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG), both of which have been successfully

implemented for stabilizing UAV motion and angular rates (Chen & Wang, 2018).
Nonlinear Control Strategies

In more dynamic environments, traditional control techniques may be insufficient. To

address this, nonlinear control methods like Backstepping and Sliding Mode Control (SMC)

have been developed (Ali & Zhao, 2019). Backstepping has been widely used to control UAV

position and orientation, while SMC provides strong resistance to external disturbances, albeit

with some limitations in smoothness due to its switching nature (Zhou et al., 2021). Other

nonlinear techniques, such as Model Predictive Control (MPC), have proven effective in

trajectory generation and maintaining UAV hover stability (Fernandez et al., 2022).

Additionally, the Kalman filter has been employed to improve altitude measurement by

integrating sensor data from LiDAR, sonar, and accelerometers (Garcia et al., 2020).

Intelligent and Adaptive Control Methods

With advancements in artificial intelligence, newer control approaches such as fuzzy

logic controllers (Rahman et al., 2018), artificial neural networks (ANNs) (Sharma & Lee,

2019), and reinforcement learning (Tan et al., 2021) have gained popularity. These methods

allow UAVs to learn from past experiences and adapt to changing environments. Model

Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) has also been used to maintain stability when payload

weight varies, ensuring consistent flight performance (Huang et al., 2020). Furthermore, brain

emotional learning-based controllers have been introduced to help UAVs make better real-time

decisions in unpredictable scenarios (Lopez & Kim, 2021).

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