Partnership to Enable Safe Automated BVLOS Drone Operations

As part of a new partnership, FlytBase’s flagship product, FlytNow, will provide enterprises with seamless integration of Iris Automation’s Casia G ground-based detect and alert system, enabling safe Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) flights.

The Casia G ground-based surveillance system from Iris Automation continuously monitors airspace to ensure UAS operations are safe from intruder aircraft. The sensors employ Iris’ patented AI and computer vision technology to provide a full optical, 360° field of view for detecting and alerting to any cooperative or non-cooperative aircraft within a 2 km radius of the sensor’s location.

Being ground-based, the system eliminates the need for additional payload on the drone, which could reduce flight time, and it is ideal for routine and repeatable operations. For instance, the sensor could be located alongside the drone docking station, reducing the need for a visual observer, otherwise necessary for BVLOS operations. Casia G’s monitoring range can also be expanded by adding additional units to form a network of detection nodes and a mesh.

According to FlytBase, FlytNow is an intuitive, cloud-based software platform that allows drone operators to conduct fully automated BVLOS operations with drone-in-a-box systems from remote command centers. Through the integration, the FlytNow dashboard can display real-time Casia G system data, such as the type of intrusive aircraft, live telemetry, and its location on the map. 

Additionally, remote drone operators are able to see the location, status (online or offline), and radius of the Casia G sensor. They are also able to get real-time alerts if an unauthorized aircraft is found in their operating area.

In addition to complete integration with Casia G to power safe collision free BVLOS flights, FlytNow also provides an array of safety features to enable safe flight operations. In the event of an emergency, such as RC link-loss, low battery, or internet connection loss, multiple failsafe events and associated behaviors can be configured via FlytNow. If a failsafe action is triggered, the drone will return to the docking station automatically. The remote operator can also upload/create No-Fly-Zones (NFZ) to prevent the drone from entering restricted or prohibited airspace.

“As the drone industry propels forward, providing an enterprise-grade scalable platform for BVLOS operations has become more critical than ever,” said Nitin Gupta, Founder & CEO of FlytBase, Inc. “Collaborations between complementary technology providers will become increasingly important as we continue to add more safety features to FlytNow. The Casia G ground-based detect and avoid system fills a critical gap in enabling risk-free BVLOS flights.”

“The need for mitigating the risk of airborne collisions is as important as ever as drone operations become increasingly more streamlined and automated,” said Iris Automation CEO, Jon Damush. “With the integration of the Iris Casia G system into the FlytNow platform we are demonstrating a complete visualization of the airspace – including both cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft. This opens the door for safe and efficient BVLOS operations for DIB platforms that remove the human from the loop – a critical step toward supporting operational scale and economic benefit.” 

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