A drone swarm advances mine detection and area mapping for demining efforts
A team of developers from the Grozny State Petroleum Technical University, known as GGNTU, has created a swarm of drones designed to identify mines and map terrain using a metal detection system. This development was reported to socialbites.ca by the NTI Platform, which coordinates business accelerators connected to Russian universities.
The drone swarm and its software were built entirely within the university’s startup studio at GGNTU. The group comprises ten ultralight unmanned aerial vehicles that can scan large areas quickly and generate a mine map to support demining of hard to reach zones.
Project engineer Islam Salamov explained to socialbites.ca that the drones will fly at low altitudes when demining, so they will be equipped with optical systems to detect and avoid obstacles. The team aims to ensure safe operation in challenging environments.
Salamov noted that a hybrid positioning system is used to control the herd. This system blends satellite positioning with local communication networks, allowing drones to exchange information about obstacles and adjust flight trajectories in real time. The setup speeds up the processing of expansive regions and improves mapping accuracy.
Maps of minefields are planned to be created automatically in real time. During flight, the drone swarm will transmit coordinates and signatures of detected objects to a central server, where they are converted into a live map of the area for immediate reference and action by demining teams.
The drone swarm was showcased at the GGNTU accelerator, organized as part of the federal project University Technological Entrepreneurship Platform. This event highlighted the university’s ongoing commitment to practical, field-ready research that can accelerate technology transfer and rural or regional safety initiatives.
In related Russia-based advances, researchers have previously developed an electric motor designed to boost drone flight speed by roughly 30 percent, signaling a broader push toward faster, more capable unmanned systems for critical missions. These efforts reflect the broader strategic focus on autonomous technology within higher education and national innovation programs.