美国国防部创造了一群3D印刷的自动微型无人机，可以在形成中一起飞行。这些无人机被称为Perdix，由战略能力办公室（SCO）开发，预算为2000万美元。
Perdix无人机最初是由麻省理工学院的研究人员设计的，3D打印被用来提供快速迭代设计和降低生产成本。使用Perdix项目，主要目的是创建一个可以从高速行驶的战斗机释放的群。
Drones on the horizon
The US military has since released details of the drone swarm in the form of a video. The clip showed testing of 103 Perdix drones released from three F/A-18 Super Hornets. Once deployed, the Pedrix drones display their decision-making skills and ability to fly together to reach certain waypoints. The drones are contained in the fighter jets’ flare dispensers and released at speeds of Mach 0.6.
“Collective organism”
国防部的SCO的威廉·罗珀（William Roper）解释了无人机的自主性，
Perdix不是预先编程的同步个体，他们是一个集体生物体，共享一个分布式的大脑以进行决策，并像自然界中的群体一样相互适应。因为每个Perdix都与其他所有Perdix进行交流和合作，所以群没有领导者，并且可以优雅地适应进入或退出团队的无人机。
In the video released by the US navy, the drones can be seen navigating to a selected waypoint as a swarm. As Roper explains, this is not a pre-planned mission and the drones have special sensors to mitigate colliding into one another. Perdix will be given a mission and collectively decide the best way of executing it before attempting a soft landing. The Department of Defense has not disclosed the planned use of the drones, but the potential for the aircraft is clear. The drones could be used to jam enemy radar and for surveillance.
战争的未来
我们已经看到了美国军方如何通过国防高级研究项目局（DARPA）测试无人机的使用探索纸板可部署的无人机。This project similarly evaluates the possibility of a swarm of drone devices. DARPA is also developing larger-scale military aircraftin the form of the TERN drone。Its clear the US Military views drones as particularly important in the future of warfare.
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Featured image shows the Pedrix drone. Photo via CBS News.
