The Development Prospects and Trends of Unmanned Automation

Through the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, military and civilian unmanned automation applications will collectively take off, and we can see that this will further accelerate the transformation of unmanned automation towards low altitude economy and reshape the industrial layout of intelligent manufacturing and non-standard automation.

1. Development prospects

  Technological innovation drives industrial upgrading: The numerous exhibits at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow fully demonstrate China's achievements in unmanned automation technology innovation. For example, the "Nine Heavens" drone adopts a flexible configuration open architecture, a series of models on the same platform, and other design concepts, reflecting China's innovative capabilities in overall drone design and system integration. At the same time, the deep integration of new generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data with unmanned automation technology will continuously improve the intelligence level of unmanned equipment, enabling it to better adapt to complex and changing environments and task requirements.

  Market demand expands application areas: With the development of the economy and society, the demand for unmanned automation equipment in various industries is constantly increasing. In the civilian field, the demand for unmanned solutions is becoming increasingly urgent in industries such as logistics distribution, agricultural crop protection, power inspection, and emergency rescue, providing a broad market space for unmanned automation equipment. Taking the logistics industry as an example, the application of unmanned trucks and drone delivery will significantly improve logistics efficiency, reduce costs, and meet the growing demand for e-commerce and express delivery services. In the military field, facing the complexity and high-intensity confrontation of modern warfare, unmanned combat platforms can undertake various tasks such as reconnaissance, strike, electronic warfare, etc., reduce casualties, improve combat effectiveness, and become a key direction for military development in various countries.

  Industrial synergy promotes economic growth: The unmanned automation industry involves multiple fields, including aerospace, mechanical manufacturing, electronic information, materials science, etc. Its development will drive the coordinated development of related industries, forming a complete industrial chain from research and development, production, sales to after-sales service, creating a large number of employment opportunities and economic benefits. For example, drone manufacturing requires high-performance materials, advanced sensors and chips, reliable power systems, etc., which will promote technological innovation and product upgrades in related industries, drive the development of the entire industrial cluster, and inject new impetus into economic growth.

  Military civilian integration achieves complementary advantages: China's technological accumulation and application practice in the field of military unmanned automation provide strong support for the development of the civilian unmanned automation industry. Many military unmanned technologies can be transformed into civilian products and services, enhancing the performance and reliability of civilian unmanned equipment. On the contrary, innovative achievements in the field of civilian unmanned equipment, such as low-cost manufacturing technology and efficient energy management systems, can also provide reference and support for the development of military unmanned equipment, realizing the two-way transformation and common development of military and civilian technology, and promoting the overall improvement of China's unmanned automation industry.

  Policy support to create a favorable environment: The country attaches great importance to the development of unmanned automation industry and has introduced a series of policies to support its research and development, application, and industrialization. These policies, including research project funding, tax incentives, and industrial park construction, provide a favorable policy environment and development opportunities for unmanned automation enterprises. For example, local governments have successively built low altitude economic industrial parks, unmanned aerial vehicle industrial bases, etc., attracting relevant enterprises to gather, forming industrial cluster effects, and promoting the rapid development of unmanned automation industry.

2.  Development Trends

（1） Technological development trends

  The level of intelligence continues to improve: unmanned automated equipment will have stronger autonomous perception, decision-making, and execution capabilities. Through artificial intelligence technologies such as deep learning and reinforcement learning, unmanned equipment can autonomously learn and adapt to environmental changes, achieving more complex task planning and autonomous control. For example, some of the drones showcased at the air show already have autonomous target recognition, path planning, and obstacle avoidance functions. In the future, these functions will be more complete and powerful, enabling unmanned equipment to perform tasks more flexibly in complex battlefield environments or civilian scenarios.

  Enhanced communication and collaboration capabilities: In order to achieve efficient collaboration among multiple unmanned equipment, communication technology will be further developed. The application of high-speed communication technologies such as 5G and 6G will enable real-time and stable data transmission and information sharing between unmanned equipment, improving the efficiency of collaborative combat or operations. At the same time, network-based distributed collaborative control technology will continue to mature, enabling unmanned equipment to form close combat or operational clusters, and exert greater efficiency. For example, the "bee swarm" unmanned aerial vehicle combat system is a typical application of communication and collaborative technology in the military field.

  Breakthrough in energy and power technology: Energy issues have always been one of the key factors restricting the endurance and performance of unmanned equipment. In the future, new energy and power technologies will continue to emerge, such as high-performance batteries, hybrid power systems, and the application of clean energy such as solar energy, which will significantly improve the endurance and power performance of unmanned equipment. For example, the development and application of solar powered drones will enable them to fly in the air for long periods of time, perform reconnaissance, communication and other tasks, and expand their application scope.

  Miniaturization and lightweighting: With the development of micro nano technology and new material technology, unmanned automation equipment will move towards miniaturization and lightweighting. Small unmanned equipment has higher maneuverability, concealment, and flexibility, and can perform tasks in narrow spaces or complex environments. For example, micro drones can be used in special scenarios such as urban counter-terrorism and indoor reconnaissance, while small unmanned underwater vehicles can perform covert detection and reconnaissance underwater.

  High reliability and safety: The widespread application of unmanned automation equipment in military and civilian fields has raised higher requirements for its reliability and safety. In the future, by adopting advanced manufacturing processes, quality control systems, and redundant designs, the reliability of unmanned equipment will be greatly improved, reducing the probability of failures. At the same time, we will strengthen the research and development of network security protection technologies to prevent unmanned equipment from being subjected to network attacks and malicious interference, ensuring its safe and stable operation.

（2） Military application trends

  Integration and fusion of combat systems: In the future, military unmanned systems will form a more closely integrated combat system, achieving the integration and fusion of air, ground, surface, and underwater unmanned equipment. Different types of unmanned equipment will be connected through networks and share information to achieve collaborative operations, mutual support, and maximize combat effectiveness. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ships, and unmanned ground vehicles can form a joint formation to conduct all-round and multi-level reconnaissance and strike against enemy targets.

  Large scale and heavy-duty development: Large unmanned combat platforms will become one of the important directions for military unmanned development. Large long-range drones such as the "Nine Heavens" have greater payload capacity and range, and can carry more weapons, ammunition, or reconnaissance equipment to perform tasks such as long-range strikes and strategic reconnaissance. In addition, large unmanned ships and unmanned transport aircraft will also play an important role in military transportation, maritime operations, and other fields, enhancing the strategic delivery and combat capabilities of the military.

  Stealth and high maneuverability design: In order to improve survival and breakthrough capabilities on the battlefield, unmanned combat equipment will pay more attention to stealth performance and high maneuverability design. By using stealth materials and optimizing exterior design, the radar cross-section and infrared characteristics of unmanned equipment can be reduced, making it difficult for the enemy to detect and discover. At the same time, improving the flight speed, maneuverability, and agility of unmanned equipment enhances its rapid response and combat capabilities on the battlefield, enabling it to better adapt to the high pace and intensity of modern warfare.

  Diversified mission capability expansion: The mission capability of military unmanned equipment will continue to expand and diversify. In addition to traditional reconnaissance and strike missions, unmanned equipment will also undertake various new combat tasks such as electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and psychological warfare. For example, unmanned electronic warfare aircraft can interfere with and scout enemy communication, radar, and other electronic devices, while unmanned network attack platforms can attack and destroy enemy network systems, creating favorable conditions for combat victory.

（3） Trends in civilian applications

  Deep penetration of industry applications: The application of unmanned automation equipment in the civilian field will continue to deepen and expand, covering almost all industries. In the field of agriculture, unmanned crop protection machines will achieve more precise fertilization and pesticide application operations, improving agricultural production efficiency and quality; In the power industry, unmanned inspection equipment will be able to conduct more comprehensive and timely inspections of transmission lines and substations, ensuring the stability of power supply. In addition, in industries such as surveying, environmental protection, security, and firefighting, the application of unmanned technology will continue to innovate and improve, providing more efficient and convenient solutions for the development of various industries.

  Accelerating the transformation of logistics and distribution: The application of unmanned vehicles and drones in the field of logistics and distribution will trigger significant changes in the logistics industry. Unmanned trucks will achieve autonomous driving for long-distance transportation, improve transportation efficiency and safety, and reduce logistics costs. Drones can be used for express delivery within cities, solving the last mile delivery problem and achieving fast and efficient logistics delivery. At the same time, the application of unmanned warehousing and automated sorting systems will further improve the overall efficiency of logistics distribution, promoting the development of the logistics industry towards intelligence and unmanned direction.

  The role of emergency rescue is highlighted: the role of unmanned automation equipment in the field of emergency rescue will become increasingly important. Unmanned helicopters, unmanned ships and other equipment can quickly reach the disaster site, carry out tasks such as material delivery, personnel search and rescue, and disaster monitoring, providing timely and effective support for emergency rescue work, reducing casualties and property losses. For example, in natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and maritime accidents, unmanned equipment can replace manual labor in hazardous environments, improving rescue efficiency and safety.

  The potential of the consumer market is unleashed: With the advancement of technology and the reduction of costs, consumer grade unmanned devices will become more popular and diversified. Household cleaning robots, aerial drones and other products will continue to upgrade and innovate to meet the diverse needs of consumers in daily life, bringing more convenience and fun to people's lives. At the same time, unmanned entertainment devices, personal transportation vehicles, etc. will gradually enter people's lives, opening up new markets for consumer grade unmanned devices.