New Delhi: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have proposed a control scheme for drone swarms to maintain formations and navigate by looking at other drones in the swarm, without the use of geopositioning signals or any form of communications between the drones. The researchers have also proved the stability of the control scheme mathematically. Most current navigation control systems used for formation flying rely on external inputs such as GPS signals, a human operator or a central computer to control each of the drones in the swarm. The novel technology allows for autonomous operations for strategic uses.

The control scheme is meant for Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) drones that are a hybrid between fixed-wing designs that require a runway, and quadcopters

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