Issue 37 Unmanned Systems Technology April/May 2021 Einride next-gen Pod l Battery technology l Dive Technologies AUV-Kit l UGVs insight l Vanguard EFI/ETC vee twins l Icarus Swarms l Transponders l Sonobot 5 l IDEX 2021 report

71 payload. The system in most demand is an IR spotlight, as soldiers’ IR goggles are more effective for real-time thermal vision, and IR spotlighting enables them to see objectives more clearly without providing illumination for terrorists or paramilitary groups. Icarus has also adapted and used Parrot’s Bebop 2 UAVs in internal tests of its swarms; the Bebop 2 weighs 600 g but Parrot has now discontinued it. As Lauwereins notes, Icarus populates its swarms with small, inexpensive UAVs, so that end-users don’t incur high replacement costs in the event of breakages or losses of craft. “Also, smaller UAVs with smaller propellers generate less noise than bigger craft,” he says. “If you’re operating in an urban environment or conducting missions at night when you need some element of stealth, that’s very important.” While the Anafi is lightweight and nimble, its small size means it cannot carry much weight. To make up for that, Icarus can use larger, more powerful UAVs upon request, such as multi-rotor models of up to 8 kg. Parrot has given Icarus access to its APIs, which enables the integration of several key systems. On the hardware side, Icarus has an assembly line for installing an RTK-capable GNSS, secondary radios and IMUs for redundancy, a compass for heading measurements, the requested mission payloads, and some adjustments to the electronics to improve comms fidelity between the processor and other onboard components. The swarming software however comprises the bulk of the company’s r&d work over the past several years. It provides the necessary logical algorithms for collective path planning and failsafe reactions across the UAVs in each swarm, and simplifies the user interface so that operators can focus on plotting and achieving their objectives. As mentioned, the company supplies its UAV swarms as turnkey products, so their operation and use are far removed from the actual software underpinning their swarming capability. This is necessary for such complex technology, if end-users are to adopt it and derive value from it without first needing extensive training. Icarus Swarms | In operation Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2021 Icarus Swarms can fly groups of COTS UAVs in coordinated formations, for light shows and now for French special forces (Images courtesy of Icarus Swarms) Smaller UAVs with smaller propellers generate less noise than bigger craft, which is very important when you need some element of stealth