- Capability group
- Robotics & Autonomous Systems
- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cap/VSYEC0N507
- Reference
- Swarm robotics Wikipedia
Papers
16.1k
2020–2024
Paper growth
+107%
2020–24 on 2015–19
Patent families
37.6k
2020–2024
Filed abroad
20%
families in more than one office
In the framework
What the capability covers and what it leaves to others, and the indicators it will be measured by.
Bounds
Covers uncrewed-systems technology and its production ecosystem, absorbing the underwater platform node; specific platforms are asset classes registering at the indicator layer, and military employment sits with National Security under the capabilities each system serves.
Lineage
Relocated in v0.1 from the split group (formerly Drones, swarming and collaborative robots) at the same level, carrying its identifier, and absorbing Autonomous underwater vehicles (retired), a platform class recorded as a capability; the asset rule assigns platforms to the indicator layer.
Indicators
- uncrewed system production volumePending
- uncrewed platform export deliveriesPending
- swarming demonstrations conductedPending
Research
Papers classified to the capability, by year and by the nation of their authors' institutions, 2020–2024. Read from the v0.0 research topics Drones, swarming and collaborative robots and Autonomous underwater vehicles.
Papers by year
The five leading nations, papers by year
Share of papers, 2020–2024
Of papers with a known author nation; 23% have none and are left out.
- 1China33.7%5,142 papers
- 2United States11.2%1,704 papers
- 3India5.7%872 papers
- 4United Kingdom4.0%607 papers
- 5South Korea2.8%431 papers
- 6Canada2.7%415 papers
- 7Japan2.5%375 papers
- 8Italy2.4%368 papers
- 9Germany2.3%358 papers
- 10Australia2.3%350 papers
Leading institutions, 2020–2024
By fractional count: each paper divided among its authors' institutions.
- 1Northwestern Polytechnical University212fractional papers
- 2Harbin Engineering University192fractional papers
- 3Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics127fractional papers
- 4Beihang University124fractional papers
- 5Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications124fractional papers
- 6National University of Defense Technology118fractional papers
- 7Beijing Institute of Technology107fractional papers
- 8Harbin Institute of Technology94fractional papers
- 9Zhejiang University85fractional papers
- 10Dalian Maritime University79fractional papers
Patents
Patent families by the nation of origin of their applicants and their earliest priority year, from the CPC and IPC classes the capability is read from. 2025 onwards is incomplete: families are published 18 months after priority.
Families by priority year
The five leading origins, families by year
9,574 applicants filed here in 2015–2024; the five largest held 9% of families (HHI 36 of 10,000: unconcentrated).
Share of families by origin, 2020–2024
- 1China56.5%21,242 families
- 2South Korea16.2%6,081 families
- 3United States9.0%3,387 families
- 4Japan8.6%3,222 families
- 5Germany1.9%721 families
- 6United Kingdom0.8%317 families
- 7France0.8%306 families
- 8Taiwan0.5%193 families
- 9Israel0.5%173 families
- 10Türkiye0.4%163 families
Applicants filing most internationally, 2015–2024
Families filed in more than one office, by applicant as the offices name them.
- 1SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO LTD1,149international families
- 2AUTEL ROBOTICS CO LTD319international families
- 3TOYOTA MOTOR CORP306international families
- 4TOYOTA MOTOR CO LTD303international families
- 5SHENZHEN AUTEL INTELLIGENT AVIATION TECH CO LTD241international families
- 6HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD216international families
- 7SZ DJI INNOVATIONS TECH CO LTD205international families
- 8SONY GROUP CORP174international families
- 9WALMART APOLLO LLC170international families
- 10KIA CORP169international families
Classification read
- B64U Uncrewed aerial vehicles and their equipment · 471.2k documents
- B64C39/02 Uncrewed aircraft under the earlier scheme · 53.1k documents
- B63G8/001 Uncrewed underwater vehicles and docking stations · 23.5k documents
- B63B2035/006 Uncrewed surface vessels · 6.2k documents
- F41H7/005 Uncrewed ground vehicles for military or police roles · 816 documents
- G05D1/69 Coordinated control of several vehicles · 27.1k documents
- G05D1/104 Formation flying of several aircraft · 7.9k documents
- G05D1/0291 Fleet control of ground vehicles · 21.5k documents
Shares inventions with
Capabilities whose classes the same families also fall in, by overlap (Jaccard).
- Autonomous Systems & Trusted Autonomy7,664 families · 0.116
Companies
50 companies in this capability, across 8 regions. The leading 12:
- 1DJIWorld's dominant drone maker, holding a large majority of the global civil and commercial drone market (Mavic, Matrice, Agras) and the top international patent applicant in this capability.Manufacture
- 2General AtomicsThrough General Atomics Aeronautical Systems it builds the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper/SkyGuardian family and the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype.Manufacture
- 3Northrop GrummanPrime contractor for the RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-4C Triton and MQ-8 Fire Scout high-end uncrewed aircraft.Manufacture
- 4Anduril IndustriesBuilds the YFQ-44A Fury CCA, Ghost and Altius drones, Dive-LD/Ghost Shark XL-AUVs and the Lattice software that coordinates autonomous swarms, with the Arsenal-1 mass-production plant in Ohio.Integration
- 5BaykarMaker of the TB2, Akinci and Kizilelma uncrewed combat aircraft and among the world's largest exporters of armed drones, sold to more than 30 countries.Manufacture
- 6Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)State aerospace group behind the Wing Loong MALE drone family and the GJ-11 stealth uncrewed combat aircraft, widely exported to the Middle East and Africa.Manufacture
- 7Israel Aerospace Industries (ELTA Systems)Pioneer UAV maker producing the Heron family, Harop/Harpy loitering munitions and uncrewed ground and naval systems for export.Manufacture
- 8Elbit SystemsProduces the Hermes 450/900 UAV family, SkyStriker loitering munitions and Seagull uncrewed surface vessels.Manufacture
- 9China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)Its China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics builds the CH (Rainbow) series of armed drones, exported to numerous countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.Manufacture
- 10AeroVironmentLeading maker of small tactical UAS (Puma, Raven, JUMP 20) and Switchblade loitering munitions, expanded by its 2025 acquisition of BlueHalo.Manufacture
- 11Shield AIDevelops the Hivemind AI pilot for autonomous and teamed aircraft and the V-BAT VTOL drone used by US and allied forces.Software & services
- 12BoeingBuilds the MQ-25 Stingray carrier tanker drone, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (Boeing Australia), the Orca XLUUV and ScanEagle via Insitu.Manufacture