Swarms of drones could be used to tackle natural disasters such as forest fires, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have said.

Climate change is leading to a global increase in the number of forest fires that occur. The researchers have developed an algorithm that allows swarms of drones to communicate with each other and make independent decisions.

When an alarm is raised about a potential fire, the swarms of drones can be sent in. Each is equipped with cameras, thermal and infrared sensors, and temperature detectors to spot the fires.

Once the fire is discovered, the drone closest to it becomes the centre of the swarm and attracts others towards it. Each drone also has the autonomy to calculate the fire’s size and potential spread, and decide how many drones are needed to quench the fire.

IISc professor Suresh Sundaram said: “By the time somebody identifies and reports a fire, it has already started spreading and cannot be put out with one drone. You need to have a...