Australia’s Sphere Drones has achieved a significant regulatory milestone by procuring a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waiver from the country’s civil aviation authority.
The approval has been procured for a New South Wales site, and it allows Sphere Drones to demonstrate its BVLOS drone operations to customers while further testing and developing the recently-released HubX drone-in-a-box platform.
One of the key benefits of this waiver is the ability for teams to conduct operations across the BVLOS area without the need for spotters or trained on-site observers. This is because HubX is an off-grid-enabled, self-sustaining, and rugged mobile drone platform with its own internet connection and solar battery system, so it to work across any terrain, even in extremely remote areas.
That said, it’s important to note that the current BVLOS approval does not extend to Remote Operations Centre (ROC) BVLOS operations. However, the Sphere Drones team is working towards incorporating an ROC into their BVLOS operations by year-end.
Elliot Cummins, chief remote pilot of Sphere Drones, says, “It is a big step to obtain your first BVLOS approval which includes extensive processes and procedures to prove safety and sufficiency in your technology solutions and redundancies.”
In addition to operational advancements, the BVLOS approval paves the way for the development and deployment of HubX for an extended duration. This includes establishing a permanent demonstration site and completing comprehensive testing, showcasing the full capabilities of Sphere Drones’ technology and operational expertise.
Paris Cockinos, CEO of Sphere Drones, says, “We’re proud of the dedication and effort the team has invested in regulatory and licensing work over the past few years, as well as their success in developing HubX to a stage where it met the requirements to gain approval. It’s truly a testament to our team’s focus and hard work.”
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