“The platform consists of the aircraft, a block-based communications and control consists of a very rugged tablet computer and type a command such as video games,” explains Carlos Bernabeu DiCYT statements, founder of trees. The operation is very simple and can be used to monitor military operations or conduct digital mapping.

In the market there are many similar systems, called UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), but the ‘aracnocoptero’ has more advanced features, allowing a vertical takeoff and carry a payload of up to 3 kilograms (too much weight given that the device weighs 3’5) is removable, is carried in small bags and flight allows extraordinary stability compared with other devices of this type, which vibrate too much to take precise images.

In other systems, analog radio communications are tight at 1,000 meters, but “our protocols are digital communications, with a theoretical range of 100 miles in optimal conditions. With digital radio waves, we have all the information in real time on the tablet, where we see the video and the position of the device on a map, “said Bernabeu.

Very resistant

The ‘aracnocoptero’, made of titanium and carbon is very strong, has a camera that shoots his own flight and multiple sensors: pressure to control their height, a sonar to facilitate automatic takeoffs and landings, gyroscopes, magnetometers and accelerometers to win stability. And with GPS are given automatic flight patterns for execution and the information is displayed on the user interface. Additionally, you can add all the necessary tools for the type of work to be performed and the only limit is the ability to load, so it could carry cameras day, night and thermal or measuring systems and laser scanning for profiles topographic.

The sensors are becoming thinner and lighter, electronic flight system is becoming smaller and more efficient batteries, which now hold up to 40 minutes, evolve very quickly to increase the duration of the flight.

Currently, “we have working prototypes and companies are interested,” said the head of Arborea, which currently has its headquarters in the business incubator of technology-based Science Park, University of Salamanca. Fly over Somali pirate ship can be used for military purposes, but in the civil field is used to analyze from the air a monument to be restored or to study the status of power lines with a great saving.

Flight “swarm”

Researchers working on artificial intelligence system in order to imitate the communication model of social species such as birds or swarms of bees to establish flight patterns of these groups smart devices. For example, “if we radioactivity, and deploy multiple devices communicate with each other through this digital protocol, everyone knows where the others and act to cover areas without overlapping. If one detects radioactivity, others go for appropriate measures. “ This multi-agent system mimics the gregarious animal models, since “the logic diagrams are the same.”