Technologists from Germany (Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute in Berlin) have come up with a solution to the problem of controlling drones: voice command. Many drones malfunction in the skies, which is a product of an often unreliable data connection. Such data connections are frequently interrupted across cellular networks, making the remote control of drones erratic.
The reason why voice commands, Phys.org reports, are more efficient than conventional data signals is because control commands and positioning information use fairly small amounts of data. For this the researchers pull on now-obsolete technology: the conversion of data to voice is not dissimilar to how old Internet modems worked.
The use of voice commands is designed in particularly for city environments, where communications between operators and their unmanned aerial vehicles can sometimes be broken. The research does not present new technology; instead it shows how using existing cellular networks’ voice channels can enable a more continuous connection compared with conventional data-centric approaches.
Earlier voice pioneering control systems are Hangar and Vapor IO data centers, of the type shown in the video below:
The Heinrich-Hertz Institute has improved upon these with a new solution that exploits preexisting infrastructures. According to research associate Tom Piechotta, who spoke with The Drive: “A major advantage is that – unlike the data connections – the voice channels are available almost everywhere and they’re highly reliable, too. Even in areas where there is only a limited data connection, or even none at all, there is usually still network coverage for voice channels.”
The drone control works on the basis of two-way communication: controllers on the ground transmit commands to the device, and the device returns information on its position, altitude or battery status.
