Iris Automation, uAvionix Partner for Low Altitude, Wide Area BVLOS: Integrating C2 and DAA

Iris Automation and uAvionix Partner for Low Altitude Wide Area BVLOS: Integrating Detect and Avoid (DAA) with Command and Control (C2)

For BVLOS flights to scale, regulators must see a reliable solution for ensuring that drones don’t run into drones or manned aircraft.  Integrating ground-based detect and avoid technology with command and control could provide an easily accessible solution, providing a comprehensive view of the air traffic and potential obstacles in low altitude airspace.

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Iris Automation and uAvionix have announced a strategic partnership that will integrate Iris’ Casia G ground-based collision avoidance data into uAvionix’s SkyLine services, resulting in combined Command and Control (C2) and Detect and Avoid (DAA) services. This new integration will provide drone operators with advanced low altitude airspace awareness and leading command and control connectivity at an affordable price.

“Integration of the Iris’ Casia G data is another step toward enabling scalable and achievable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights for UAS operators,” said uAvionix Managing Director Christian Ramsey. “With better range than the human eye and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the optical image, the system can rapidly detect and classify other aircraft or objects in the air. That data is then ingested and combined with other sensor data, including ADS-B, and displayed for UAS operators in the SkyLine system. It’s the type of novel integration and approach that we feel is important for a Command and Control Communications Service Provider (C2CSP) to provide and one that we have seen successfully meets the safety, efficiency and reliably needs of rapidly evolving UAS operations.”

uAvionix is the leader in cooperative aircraft detection with its ADS-B IN solutions for UAS such as pingRX Pro and pingStation3. Meanwhile, its SkyLine software services enable the visualization of air traffic (ADS-B) data through the first cloud-based C2 network management platform. Together, these solutions grant total optimization of the aircraft’s C2 communications links and enhanced situational awareness for remote UAS operators. The uAvionix SkyLine system inclusive of airborne radios, ground stations, and DAA sensor data is central to two FAA BVLOS waivers as well as the company’s recent FAA BVLOS exemption.

“We couldn’t be more excited for this partnership,” said Iris Automation CEO Jon Damush. “uAvionix has long been an industry leader in our space, and their ability to combine multiple technologies to address long standing gaps in our market is unmatched. Combining reliable and protected C2 communications with comprehensive situational awareness just makes sense. With the addition of our non-cooperative aircraft detection data, operators will now have a turn-key solution for their BVLOS operations.”

Iris Automation’ Casia system relies on computer vision and artificial intelligence to detect non-cooperative intruder aircraft that pose the risk of a ‘near mid-air collision’ (NMAC), giving a drone time to adjust its flight path and grant right-of-way to crewed aircraft. The Casia G system is a ground-based variant offering a large area of coverage that can be expanded infinitely with the deployment of additional ground-based nodes.

The Casia G system’s data will complement the ADS-B data from uAvionix, enabling cooperative aircraft positions to be validated through two independent sensors and rapid identification of non-cooperative aircraft. The combined systems grant a level of comprehensive situational awareness greater than that of existing single-sensor-based systems. Integrating the Casia G data into the uAvionix SkyLine system will allow for multiple and diverse air traffic data points from both cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft to be displayed and used by UAS operators for DAA functions. Both companies are actively collaborating on this integration, which is expected to be available later this year.

Read moe:

• FAA Issues BVLOS Exemptions for uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward: Why These are Different
• Drone Management Software for BVLOS Ops: Iris Automation Partners with VOTIX Drone Automation Platform
• FlytBase and Iris Automation Integrate Ground-Based Detect and Avoid with FlytNow Software for Automated, Remote Drone Ops
• uAvionix Combines Command and Control, Detect and Avoid for BVLOS Flight at Choctaw Nation Emerging Aviation Technology Center

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.