ON THE FLY

SMU engineers set up an innovative lab for drone study

Homing In On Drone Swarms

Imagine the lifesaving potential of groups of drones performing search and rescue missions. But there's a communication problem that needs to be solved first, and SMU engineers are on it. With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Professors Joseph Camp and Dinesh Rajan of the Lyle School of Engineering are leading research aimed at building a multidimensional drone communication infrastructure framework – or MuDDI.

ON THE FLY

SMU engineers set up an innovative lab for drone study

Homing In On Drone Swarms

Imagine the lifesaving potential of groups of drones performing search and rescue missions. But there's a communication problem that needs to be solved first, and SMU engineers are on it. With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Professors Dinesh Rajan and Joseph Camp of the Lyle School of Engineering are leading research aimed at building a multidimensional drone communication infrastructure framework – or MuDDI.

A BEEHIVE OF DATA GATHERING

Students started collecting data at SMU-in-Taos last summer. Now they’re helping transform an off-campus warehouse into an innovative lab, creating a controlled environment where they’ll be able to measure wireless transmissions more precisely.

New Zealand claimed the first drone-to-door pizza delivery in 2016. However, maneuvering a single flying robot is far less challenging than coordinating large formations.

SMU researchers are working on a 3D connectivity framework to produce robust drone-to-ground and drone-to-drone wireless links.

Ultimately, the team is aiming to take drones to the next level of interacting with other smart devices and each other as well as coordinating with other drone swarms.

“I was able to make a difference in a field in which I had no previous connection.”
–Daniele Farren ’21, electrical and computer engineering and mathematics major, was a member of the research team at SMU-in-Taos.
Students conducting research

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

The researchers are making progress, but there have been some ups and downs. When a problem arises, their engineering know-how leads to solutions. “The field of electrical engineering is broad, with the tools to tackle whatever curiosity you have,” Camp says.