The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) in Oldenburg has developed an integrated acoustic sensor solution for drone detection and location. Faced with the growing risk posed by unmanned aerial vehicles in sensitive areas, the system fills a crucial gap: it “hears around the corner.” Acoustics can be combined with radar, cameras, and lidar to create a robust sensor data network. Unlike purely optical or radar-based methods, which rely on line of sight, this technology allows drones to be detected even in urban or forested areas.
Since 2016, the Hearing, Speech, and Audio Technology Division in Oldenburg has been driving the acoustic detection of drones in the public projects AMBOS (BMBF) and ALADDIN (H2020). Twelve partners participated in AMBOS under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute FKIE. In ALADDIN, 18 partners from nine European countries collaborated, including the CS Group as the project manager. The algorithms and system components were refined in numerous internal projects. Currently, in addition to easily integrable algorithms for detecting and locating UAS, researchers also have a fully integrable system solution.
Fiber optic-controlled drones and autonomous flying objects are typically undetectable by radio, while high-resolution radar and camera systems are expensive and energy-intensive. In contrast, the Fraunhofer IDMT acoustic solution operates with low power consumption, enabling autonomous operation using rechargeable batteries. The ability to trigger other sensors upon acoustic contact also offers advantages. The technology achieves 360° coverage. Depending on the acoustic environment, detection and localization ranges vary between 50 and 200 meters, with a temporal resolution of one second. It is also possible to extend the range to detect other acoustic events, from vehicles to gunshots. Thanks to their high availability, the acoustic sensors can be deployed across large areas.
“With our acoustic technology, we offer a cost-effective, low-maintenance solution that complements existing drone detection systems,” explains Christian Rollwage, Director of Audio Signal Enhancement at Fraunhofer IDMT.
The target customers for this new technology are primarily companies in the defense and security sector that already develop drone detection systems based on radar, optics, or lidar, as well as systems integrators and drone manufacturers that want to detect aerial signals.
