Acoustic Drone Detection
When a drone (also known as an unmanned aerial system, or UAS) approaches a security-critical area without permission, it poses a potential threat. In some cases, optical sensors, radio, and radar are disrupted by terrain, weather, or technical measures and cannot reliably detect a drone. Furthermore, fiber optic-controlled drones or autonomous flying objects often remain hidden from radio reconnaissance, while high-resolution radar and camera systems require high costs and energy-intensive computing power.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg (Germany) has developed an integrated acoustic sensor solution for drone detection and localization. In view of the increasing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles in security-critical areas, the system fills a crucial gap: it can “hear around corners.” Acoustics can be combined with radar, camera, and lidar to form a robust sensor data network. Unlike purely optical and radar-based methods, which rely on line of sight, the technology enables drone operations to be detected even in built-up or wooded areas.
Low Energy Consumption and 360° Coverage
The acoustic solution developed by Fraunhofer IDMT operates with low energy consumption, enabling autonomous operation with rechargeable batteries. The ability to wake up other sensor components after acoustic contact also offers advantages. The technology can achieve 360° coverage. Depending on the noise environment, the detection and localization ranges are between 50 and 200 meters, with a temporal resolution of one second. An extension to other acoustic events, from vehicles to gunshots, is conceivable. Thanks to their high availability, the acoustic sensors can be deployed across a wide area.
The target customers for the new technology are primarily companies in the defense and security sectors that are already developing drone detection systems based on radar, optics, or lidar, as well as system integrators who want their own sensor technology and drone manufacturers who want to detect signals from the air.
A video can be found on YouTube.
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