Raleigh-based PrecisionHawk has teamed with Verizon, Harris, and DigitalGobe Inc. to provide “safety as a service” for the rapidly growing drone aircraft market and have successfully completed initial testing.
The market leaders have integrated their technologies, Verizon’s LTE network, Harris’ ADS-B and aircraft surveillance network, DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data Platform and PrecisionHawk’s LATAS (Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety) platform, to serve as a pathway for safe drone integration.
“LTE networks have the potential to allow drones to deliver sensor data for processing, analysis and decision-making mid-flight and to receive command-and-control inputs in real-time, resulting in a safer, more reliable shared airspace,” said David Famolari, director, Verizon Ventures, in a statement.
“While much further study is required, this demonstration is an important step in advancing industry efforts to safely manage commercial UAV operations at scale.”
Using LTE & satellite data
Operating over LTE and through satellites, the LATAS platform connects airspace safety technologies such as detect and avoid, dynamic geofencing and aircraft tracking to provide “safety as a service” for the rapidly growing drone market. Verizon brings secure and reliable LTE connectivity to LATAS users. By utilizing the existing infrastructure of Verizon cell towers, LATAS is scalable for drones operating throughout the US.
“We are leveraging satellite-derived information to create consistent information and analytics for safe drone flights,” said Dr. Shay Har-Noy, DigitalGlobe’s Senior Director of Geospatial Big Data. “This is significant collaboration that represents a huge step forward for the FAA and the safety and well-being of the American public.”
As a global provider of commercial high-resolution earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions, DigitalGlobe brings superior geospatial content and analytic capabilities for the identification of terrain and ground obstacles. PrecisionHawk’s LATAS system will tap into DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data (GBD) Platform so that drones can actively identify and avoid obstructions such as buildings, cable or tree lines based on highly accurate and current information about the world around them.
Nationwide Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station deployment by Harris serves as the cornerstone of the FAA’s NextGen surveillance initiative to fundamentally improve the quality, accuracy and reliability of flight tracking data throughout the entire National Airspace System
On the web: Nationwide Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station deployment by Harris serves as the cornerstone of the FAA’s NextGen surveillance initiative to fundamentally improve the quality, accuracy and reliability of flight tracking data throughout the entire National Airspace System.
On the web: Nationwide Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station deployment by Harris serves as the cornerstone of the FAA’s NextGen surveillance initiative to fundamentally improve the quality, accuracy and reliability of flight tracking data throughout the entire National Airspace System.
Video – https://youtu.be/icb6t6CRwHQ
http://www.precisionhawk.com
