Hearing the Unseen: Smart Sensors Track Drones

Reliable acoustic drone detection Hearing the Unseen: Smart Sensors Track Drones

2025-11-18 Source: Press release 2 min Reading Time

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Drones, also known as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), can pose serious threats when entering security-critical areas without authorization. Traditional detection methods—optical sensors, radar, and radio—can be disrupted by terrain, weather, or countermeasures, leaving gaps in surveillance.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg/Germany has developed an integrated acoustic sensor system that detects and locates drones even when they are out of sight. By “hearing around corners,” the technology complements radar, camera, and lidar systems, creating a robust network of sensors. Unlike optical or radar-only methods, which require line of sight, acoustic detection works effectively in built-up and forested areas.

Since 2016, the Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech, and Audio Technology (HSA) has advanced acoustic drone detection through publicly funded projects such as AMBOS (BMBF) and ALADDIN (H2020). These initiatives involved dozens of partners across Europe, continuously refining algorithms and system components. Today, the Fraunhofer IDMT offers both integrable algorithms for UAS detection and localization as well as complete system solutions.

The system provides 360° coverage

Unlike fiber-optic-controlled drones or autonomous flying objects, which often remain invisible to radio-based detection, and unlike high-resolution radar and camera systems, which require significant energy and computing power, the acoustic system is low-energy and battery-operable. It can also activate additional sensors upon detecting a drone. The system provides 360° coverage, with detection ranges from 50 to 200 meters depending on environmental noise, and updates every second. Beyond drones, the technology could potentially detect other acoustic events, such as vehicles or gunshots.

With our acoustic technology, we provide a cost-effective and low-maintenance complement to existing drone detection systems

Christian Rollwage, Head of Audio Signal Enhancement at Fraunhofer IDMT.

Target Customers include defense and security companies, system integrators looking to enhance their own sensor technology, and drone manufacturers seeking airborne signal detection solutions.Fraunhofer IDMT has also published a video demonstration on its YouTube channel showing drone detection and localization in action.

About Fraunhofer IDMT HSA — Hearing, Speech, and Audio Technology

Founded in 2008 by Prof. Dr. Dr. Birger Kollmeier and Dr. Jens-E. Appell, the Oldenburg branch focuses on market-oriented research in:

- Speech and event recognition
- Sound quality and speech intelligibility
- Mobile neurotechnology and networked healthcare systems

With in-house expertise in hardware and software development for audio systems and signal enhancement, the HSA team translates scientific research into practical solutions. The institute collaborates closely with Carl von Ossietzky University, Jade University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, and participates in the Hearing4all cluster of excellence and the Collaborative Research Centre Hearing Acoustics.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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