The funding, awarded under Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Innovate program, will support the University’s Autonomous Drone Battery Swap project, which addresses the battery limitations of drones by performing mid-air battery exchanges and recharges.
Developed in collaboration with industry partner DroneX, the innovation has the potential to transform drone operations across sectors such as logistics, agriculture, emergency responses and environmental monitoring. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Macquarie University Advanced Drone Systems Research Centre, including Professor Richard Han, Dr Endrowednes Kuantama, Dr Avishkar Seth and Dr Alice James, all from the School of Computing, and Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay from the School of Engineering.
“The ability to autonomously swap a battery mid-air removes one of the biggest roadblocks in drone-based operations,” says Professor Han. “It opens new doors for continuous, long-range missions without the need to land and recharge.”
Professor Samuel Muller, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Macquarie University, says the project demonstrates the University's commitment to translating research into practical solutions that benefit industry and society.
“This technology has the potential to extend drone flight times significantly, enabling applications we haven't been able to achieve before,” Professor Muller says.
“It's exactly the kind of innovation that bridges the gap between university research and real-world impact.”
Researchers from the Advanced Drone Systems Research Centre at Macquarie University, from left: Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Dr Avishkar Seth, Dr Endrowednes Kuantama, Professor Richard Han and Dr Alice James.
