Drone automation platform VOTIX is joining forces with detect-and-avoid aviation tech specialist Iris Automation to streamline remote operations for enterprises that require flexible beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone deployments.
The partnership would allow for data from Iris Automation’s Casia G ground-based detect and alert system to be pulled directly into the VOTIX cloud-based drone operating system. The blended hardware-software solution will provide a complete picture of the operational airspace in real-time to enable both routine automated inspections of critical infrastructure and rapid drone mobilization seen in Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs.
As Iris Automation explains in a post announcing the new partnership, a key requirement for obtaining BVLOS regulatory approval is the ability to detect non-cooperative aircraft at distance. The Casia G system fulfills this by monitoring the airspace and providing precise location and classification data of intruder aircraft, enabling automated conflict resolution via the VOTIX platform.
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Essentially, what Casia G does is, it creates a stationary perimeter of sanitized, monitored airspace without the need to add additional sensors or payload to the drone. And then, using patented computer vision technology, the system alerts the operator if a risk of collision is present and allows the drone to maneuver to safe zones. This eliminates the need for the pilot to maintain visual contact with the drone or to have visual observers in place to monitor the skies.
The VOTIX platform, meanwhile, integrates all processes and systems required for a BVLOS operation. The drone-agnostic solution offers many important features too, including C2 and live video streaming, automated conflict resolution, weather tracking and traffic management, keeping tabs on operational limitations, automation of fail-safe measures to increase safety, as well as the enablement of autonomous flights, precision landing, and drone-in-a-box integration.
Ed Boucas, CEO of VOTIX, points to the platform’s robustness by highlighting that it has allowed drone inspection provider AviSight to obtain two ground-breaking waivers for recurrent BVLOS inspections over several miles of Shell pipelines in the US. So much so, the FAA approved the first waiver in just nine days of receiving the application with VOTIX reports. Here’s Boucas:
Our mission is to make BVLOS easy. We have integrated every aspect of drone operation in a single pane of glass so pilots can easily perform safe and secure BVLOS flights.
Jason Hardy-Smith, VP of product at Iris Automation, adds:
To safely advance unpiloted operations, technology companies across our industry need to collaboratively deliver their innovative technologies in seamless solutions that are easy for customers to consume. Our partnership with VOTIX is a terrific example of that, delivering a complete platform for remote pilots to safely and efficiently execute their missions.
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