Drone Center Sweden select Altitude Angel as the Foundation Stone as it begins to build National Drone Infrastructure
Drone Infrastructure
Altitude Angel, the world’s most trusted UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, has been retained by the Swedish Transport Administration project PNK4UTM and Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) to implement its GuardianUTM Enterprise platform at Sweden’s largest and most advanced drone test area, the 2,400km² Drone Center Sweden.
Developing services on which the country will begin to build its nationwide drone operations, Drone Center Sweden is a unique test bed project in Västervik (on Sweden’s south-east coast) which is supported by Sweden´s innovation agency Vinnova, the Swedish Transport Administration, Västervik municipality, and is coordinated by RISE, Sweden’s state-owned research institute. RISE brings together the private and public sectors and academia to develop services, products, technologies, processes, and materials, which contribute to a sustainable future and a competitive Swedish business community.
Project PNK (Positioning, Navigation and Communications), is an initiative to test, document and evaluate the possibility and expediency of using the mobile network to position, navigate and communicate with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), within Sweden’s existing airspace rules and regulations. Together, RISE, Telia, Ericsson, SWEPOS, Drone Center Sweden and other partners in the PNK4UTM project will deploy Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM Enterprise platform to safely and securely enable BVLOS drone operations.
Karim Cosslett, Altitude Angel, Sales & Partnership Manager, said: “Sweden has a rich history in developing and taking-to-market world leading technology. To have GuardianUTM Enterprise chosen by one of the country’s most prestigious institutions, which is developing the next generation of delivery and urban air mobility solutions, is very exciting. All at Altitude Angel are very much looking forward to working with the teams in the PNK4UTM project and Drone Center Sweden to bring about the infrastructure to realise the almost incalculable potential of drones.”
Åke Sivertun (RISE), PNK4UTM Project Manager, added: “Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM Enterprise platform will give us the foundations on which we can build the future of Sweden’s drone network by developing our already extensive positioning, navigation and communications infrastructure to power this emerging and exciting technology.
“Given Sweden’s diverse geography, it has over many years built a large, mature communications network. However, this network is currently not optimised to communicate with UAVs which are operating at an altitude of between 10 and 120m, so the coverage must be verified and the cells, in some cases, adjusted to achieve the desired coverage. New radio frequencies in 4-5G provide great opportunities to add services to the networks which are important for many target groups, including autonomous vehicles.”
28 September 2021
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Snowdonia Aerospace Secures First Commercial / Privately Controlled Permanent Danger Area in the UK
Following a formal 24 month Airspace Change Proposal process ARPAS-UK Member Snowdonia Aerospace Centre (SAC) is pleased to announce that Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval has been granted for the establishment of the UKs first commercial and privately controlled Danger Area in support of the research and development of novel aerospace systems.
The new Danger Area provides an area of segregated airspace immediately around Llanbedr Airfield for testing of future air vehicles, including Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones and Electric Air Mobility Vehicles, together with an air corridor to link the Airfield to the existing adjacent MOD Danger Area D201 in Cardigan Bay to enable further extended range, altitude and endurance testing including potentially a number of near space operations.
The new Danger Area extends to 420km2 with the option of then using the adjacent MOD Danger Area which extends to a further 7000+km2
SAC began the process in July 2019 with an initial Statement of Need being issued to the CAA to support their Proposal. Prior to this SAC had operated under a number of Temporary Danger Areas (TDA) when customers were looking to test their experimental air vehicles at the Airfield. With an increasing customer base and demand for the facilities it was becoming no longer commercially viable for SAC to continue to operate under this basis. A more permanent solution was required. The new Danger Area became live from the 09 September 2021, some 2 years post the process starting, and will be activated by NOTAM as and when required.
The Welsh Government provided financial support to SAC to assist with a proportion of the costs of the 2 year project.
Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “The Welsh Government is committed to supporting the continued growth of the aerospace and space sectors in Wales and I am delighted we have been able to assist in bringing this exciting and ambitious project to reality. As a UK first this scheme further enhances the unique physical and business environment Wales offers companies in the industry. The testing and evaluation capabilities available will make Llanbedr Airfield even more attractive to companies in the field. It also confirms its status as the Centre of Excellence for pioneering and innovative aerospace research and development in the UK.”
As part of the CAA’s formal CAP1616 process Snowdonia Aerospace had to follow and pass a number of set Stages including developing acceptable Design Principles, Design Options, Environmental and Noise assessments and a full public consultation from which 140 responses were received. The CAA were satisfied that the efficient use of airspace will not be compromised and the proposal would limit any impact to other aircraft users. The CAA were also satisfied that the new designated Airspace would have no discernible adverse environmental impact and all relevant environmental factors have been considered in line with government policy.
Jeremy Howitt, Future Flight lead at Snowdonia Aerospace said “The positive decision by the CAA illustrates their commitment to support the development of innovation across the aerospace sector in line with the UK Airspace Modernisation Strategy. The Llanbedr Danger Area provides an unrivalled operational test environment for customers looking to accelerate the development of their drones, urban air mobility vehicles and other novel aerospace systems and will also be a key element in Snowdonia Aerospace’s own flight testing under the UK Research & Innovation Future Flight Challenge as we seek to develop BVLOS drone services to support communities across Wales.”
SAC have been appointed the designated Danger Area Authority (DAA) and they are the first and currently only commercial DAA in the UK as all other existing Danger Areas around the UK have the MOD as the DAA. Within all MOD controlled Danger Areas MOD operations must take priority of use over any commercial activity. The new permanent Danger Area at Llanbedr Airfield has been developed to serve the needs of commercial operators who remain frustrated by the lack of suitable and viable testing facilities in the UK and is designed to encourage the commercial exploitation and growth of the future of aviation.
As part of the approval the CAA also created a first and new descriptive activity of operations permitted within the Danger Area. The new permanent Restricted Airspace at Llanbedr will not only allow the testing and operation in segregated airspace of unmanned air systems (drones) and balloons (including airships) but will also now allow the new activity of Test & Evaluation (T & E) operations to take place. T & E has been defined as single or multiple aircraft conducting manoeuvres that may not be able to comply with the Rules of the Air and has been developed to cater for the development and testing of amongst others, electric air vehicles.
Lee Paul, Partner and CEO of SAC stated “ We are delighted after over 2 years work and significant further investment that we have secured a UK first. The development of the new permanent Airspace will significantly enhance the UK RD & TE capability in environmentally friendly aircraft and electric technologies and will enable UK businesses to retain future flight test programmes in the UK rather than the operating abroad thereby retaining economic activity and jobs in the UK economy.
Lee Paul further added “The award of the new Danger Area will now enable us to continue with the ongoing planned further investment at the Airfield and reinforce the Airfield as the UK’s Centre of Excellence for novel aerospace research and development. We are shortly to be announcing new employment and training opportunities for Operations Assistants and Flight Information Officers which we are aiming to recruit from the local area.
We are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from companies looking to take advantage of the new “testing environment” and our first customer is planned for later this month. This is also a significant step in the development of Spaceport Snowdonia and we believe we are the first proposed Spaceport in the UK which has now secured its required Airspace need to support future spaceport operations.”
John Whalley CEO of Aerospace Wales and co-chair of the Space Wales Leadership Group said “This is a huge step forward for Snowdonia Aerospace Centre/Spaceport Snowdonia, underpinning its role as a key UK asset for the development of disruptive flight technology, spaceflight and new applications to support the community and key sectors of the economy. Congratulations to the whole team.”
DroneX Tradeshow & Conference – Safely Returning to “Normality”
As the world is slowly but surely returning to “normality” as we once knew it, we are delighted to be launching the DroneX Tradeshow & Conference this year on the 5th & 6th October at the ExCeL London. Whilst we are excited to finally be opening doors again in person, we appreciate that there are some reservations surrounding attending such busy events and mixing with other people after being in our own bubbles for so long. We wouldn’t be going ahead with this event if we didn’t feel it was safe, and we want to make sure that you feel safe attending DroneX and have the best experience possible.
Following government guidelines and advice from the team at the ExCeL, these are the measures currently in place to ensure the safety of everyone at the event:
Anyone wishing to enter DroneX or Helitech will have to provide either proof of double vaccination or a negative lateral flow test within 48 hours of attending – please note that there will be a limited number of lateral flow tests available at the venue, however these will be distributed on a first come first served basis
Testing and tracing is supported at the event and all exhibitors, visitors, staff etc onsite will be recorded
Visitors have been asked to pre-register for tickets to limit unnecessary contact with staff
Masks are no longer mandatory as per government guidelines, however they are advised
The ExCeL have also taken extra steps to increase the safety of their venue, including:
Risk assessment carried out to determine what measures will need to be put in place
Hand sanitiser present throughout the venue
Track and trace for all visitors entering the ExCeL
The ExCeL cleaning team have been provided extra training as per new cleaning procedures in order to meet hygiene standards, and all touch points, seating and meeting areas will be regularly cleaned and maintained over the two days
Increased ventilation to improve the circulation in line with the latest Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers guidance
The safety of all our visitors, exhibitors, speakers, partners and staff attending the DroneX Tradeshow & Conference is our utmost priority and we know that the safer you feel at the event, the more enjoyable your experience will be. We have been doing everything we can to ensure this event can safely go ahead this year, and we are so excited to welcome you to DroneX, in person, on the 5th & 6th October.
Government guidelines are continuously being reviewed and we will update our website with the measures in place accordingly. For more information about the show, including COVID-19 safety measures, visit the website at dronexpo.co.uk
From DroneX Organisers
23 September 2021
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Drones and Low Flying Military Aircraft
Whether you are flying your drone for fun or profit, the need to fly safely and legally is often discussed. Height limits and airspace restrictions are set out in the the CAA website for all to follow and doing so will help to avoid conflict with manned aircraft and the risks that this poses. Generally speaking, civilian manned aircraft will operate over the 400ft ceiling applied to UAV flights and so you would think that observance of these limits would be sufficient to keep the airspace safe for all.
However, when carrying out essential training for operations, military aircraft have a need to fly beneath this 400ft limit, and sometimes as low as the ground in the case of helicopters taking off and landing. Collision with drones at these low heights could have disastrous consequences. These low flight exercises can take place any time of day or night, in any weather and in any location so it is something that all pilots need to be aware of, not just if you’re near an airfield or in a known low flying zone.
Ask – Look – Listen
The RAF Safety Centre have suggested several considerations that drone pilots can use to help reduce the risk of collision.
Ask
In addition to always flying in accordance with the drone code, pilots can call the freephone number below (between 0700-2000 Mon – Thu & 0700-1500 Fri). They can also be emailed.
As far in advance as possible, you can give them the date and time of your flight, the maximum height you will be flying to and the location. Your flight details will be provided to crews of low flying aircraft and they will inform you of any low flying activity that is likely to affect you. The people at the other end of the line are set up to deal with this issue specifically.
Look
When you’re on your flight, keep an eye on the sky for low flying aircraft. In a wide-open space, it can be tempting to simply focus on your screen activity but it is important to monitor your aerial surroundings.
The RAF’s latest fast jet trainer, the Hawk T2 is pictured during a flight over the beautiful scenery of North Wales.
Listen
Military aircraft will often be heard before they are seen (especially in the case of helicopters) so keep an ear out for engine noise as warning that one may be close by.
What do you do if a Low Flying Aircraft is in your Area?
Military aircraft often fly at high speed and the pilot’s field of vision can be limited so it is more likely that you will see them before the pilot can see either you or your drone. The first thing to do if you suspect a low flying aircraft is close is to immediately descend your craft and then land it safely as soon as possible. Stay on the ground until the danger is clear.
A Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter is pictured on a training flight in Snowdonia, Wales.
What else can you do to Help?
By following all the steps above, you’re not only protecting your drone investment but you are also helping to safeguard the lives of the pilots, crew and passengers that are flying, not to mention those on the ground who could be affected should a collision occur. There are two other simple things that you can do to help even further.
Wear a high visibility jacket or vest. Even if you are miles from civilisation in open space, high vis clothing will help alert a pilot to your presence. Spotting a brightly coloured person in a field will mean that the pilot can keep an eye out for a drone in the sky. It’s the same advice given to horse riders – the easier you are to spot, the more the pilot can alter their route to keep everyone safe.
Use Drone Assist. NATS offer a free drone safety app called Drone Assist (or there is a desktop version at dronesafetymap.com). It provides airspace information that you can use when planning your flights – for example flight restriction zones around airfields, as well as ground hazards where there may be safety, security or privacy concerns. As well as providing you with this information to assist you with your planning, you can (and should) add in your flight detail. It’s a simple case of tapping on your takeoff location and following the prompts to enter some basic information such as date and flight duration (it’s helpful to add your max altitude in the comments as well). Your flight is then publicly listed and anyone looking at that area will be able to see it and plan accordingly. It doesn’t replace the need for calling the RAF team but it’s great practice to get into for hobbyists and commercial pilots alike.
Working Together
Reporting drone flights will, over time, lead to a clearer map and understanding of UAV pilots requirements – in itself a valuable tool for the military in planning their essential low flight training exercises.
By working together in this way to report and record flights and receive information of potential conflicts ahead of time, drone pilots will be working alongside the military to keep the airspace safer for everyone.
Flight Safety, RAF Safety Centre
14/12/2018
Updated 21/09/2021
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DroneX Announces ARPAS-UK as Headline Partner for 2021
ARPAS-UK, the not for profit Trade Association for the UK Drone Industry, has been announced as a headline partner for this year’s DroneX Tradeshow & Conference.
ARPAS-UK – dedicated to supporting members of the UK drone community – will be joining DroneX this year on the 5th & 6th October at the ExCeL London.
Being the only trade association for the UK drone community, ARPAS work on behalf of their members to support businesses and ensure safe operational best practice among drone users.
They have been recognised by the Counter Terror Awards for their efforts surrounding counter terror strategy in the UK and overseas, and sponsored one of the award categories in 2019 – the UAV Product Award. This award recognises the most innovative products developed for the purpose of protection against hostile drones. This is just one example of the ways in which ARPAS-UK support start-up businesses, larger established operations, and everything in between through promoting innovation and best practice.
The DroneX Tradeshow & Conference is delighted to have ARPAS-UK on board as a headline partner this year, promoting safe and regulatory use of drones which are transforming the processes of many sectors and improving safety.The possibilities of unmanned vertical flight are endless and ARPAS-UK play a huge role in the progression and growth of businesses within the UAV industry.
Adnan Hiroli, the Event Director of the DroneX Tradeshow & Conference, said “We are so excited to be bringing you this incredible new show this year with the support of our headline partners, ARPAS-UK and Drone Major. It is so important for members within the UAV industry to have the support and guidance they need which will allow them to grow their business and encourage best practice. Unmanned vertical flight is ever growing and developing, creating unparalleled opportunities for businesses. We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for you at the show this year.”
DroneX will allow you to take a firsthand look into the latest technological advancements, with more and more companies incorporating drones for different purposes, this is an unmissable event.
Register for your free tickets now to see ARPAS-UK at the show on the 5th & 6th October, alongside 300 exhibitors, 100 seminars and an incredible schedule of keynote speakers. To find out more about the show and plan ahead in order to make the most of the two days, visit dronexpo.co.uk.
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Moonrock launches the UK’s first dedicated drone insurance policy for hobbyists and recreational users
Moonrock Drone Insurance has launched the UK’s first dedicated drone insurance policy for hobbyists and recreational users.
In addition to their commercial policy, this new drone insurance will for the first time give consumers the opportunity to purchase cover for accidental drone damage as well as 3rd party public liability, fly-a-ways, and theft.
The policy is available to click and purchase online at hobby.moonrockinsurance.com providing instant insurance cover, alongside advice and support from drone insurance professionals.
The product is underwritten by Munich Re Innovation Syndicate who provide the capacity and insurance expertise.
Simon Ritterband managing director of Moonrock Drone Insurance commented, “Since launching the Moonrock commercial policy 5 years ago, it has always been our long-term ambition to offer a similar service to the recreational market. With the number of UK drone hobbyists currently 200,000 +, we see this as the perfect time to launch into the market.
In the past the public perception of drones has not always been positive. However with the recent introduction of a government and CAA mandated drone registration system, perception has significantly improved in the wider community. We are definitely seeing a growth in the use of drones in the non-commercial space, such as photography enthusiasts sing drones to capture photographs and videos from a birds-eye view.”
This new drone insurance policy fills the gap in the market to provide drone hobbyists with the much-needed cover that has previously only been available to commercial pilots.
360iSR and Canadian UAVs Partner to Provide Comprehensive UAS Operations Training spearheading Global Programme
New centre of excellence in Canada provides template for global multi-domain UAS training and operational capabilities for international roll-out
Joint announcement: Calgary, AB, Canada and London, UK: 15th September 2021: 360iSR and Canadian UAVs have agreed to jointly offer the most comprehensive Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Operations Training on the market globally.
The joint training offering announced at DSEI, London, (360iSR Stand: H4-515) leverages the partnership’s world-class multi-decade, multi-platform and proprietary Transport Canada approved Detect and Avoid technology to provide end-to-end UAS training solutions in alignment with NATO Standard ATP-3.3.8.1 requirements.
The initiative answers a growing demand currently unfulfilled: UAS suppliers provide type (system specific) training on the unmanned aircraft systems they sell, but this is only one small part of a larger, holistic UAS Operations Training picture. Too often a UAS is procured without a pathway to fully leverage the asset’s data acquisition, dissemination, and tactical force implementation advantages. This shortcoming is a result of not having access to comprehensive UAS Operations Training. Comprehensive UAS Operations Training addresses operational airworthiness, airmanship, general UAS information, Detect And Avoid (DAA) systems and procedures, the integration of UAS in non-segregated airspace, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) procedures.
Canadian UAVs is a Transport Canada registered training company with a proven track record providing UAV training to the Department of National Defense. The company has highly qualified UAS personnel who hold Transport Canada Advanced small RPAS Pilot Certificates (including those with Flight Reviewer ratings) and is authorized to provide BVLOS UAS Operations Training at Foremost UAS Test Range in Foremost, Alberta, Canada.
Canadian UAVs offers pilot training, type training, test and evaluation, maintenance services, Detect and Avoid training, operational risk assessment, permitting, general consulting, training aircraft and in-country logistics support.
Complementing CUAVs, 360iSR is a globally trusted company with the capability to offer end to end ISR support. 360iSR is one of a few companies that has a team with the experience to deliver all aspects of ISR from the Tactical Coordinator to the ISR Division Chief and they have worked on projects ranging from counter poaching in Southern Africa to large scale security events such as the London Olympic Games.
360iSR completes the total training package by offering intelligence analyst, ISR operator and sensor operator training. We also provide assistance to clients in the development of CONOPs and TTPs.
Together the two companies bring expertise in UAS and ISR operations to create a total training solution that not only ensures the highest level of flight safety training, but also that all specialisations within the UAS and ISR activity are individually trained, and that crew, team, and military unit are collective trained, thus enabling the integration of the UAS into the wider operational community. The result: more effective UAS operations, better return on investment in unmanned aircraft systems, and fully integrated and synchronised capability that supports decision-centric operations.
“The collaboration between 360iSR and Canadian UAVs represents a step change in UAS training. No longer is a client limited to a pilot-centric conversion to type course. Our training program addresses aviation authority certification issues such as BVLOS and DAA and it addresses operational issues such as integration of UAS activity into the broader ISR activity ultimately supporting information dominant operations.”
Ewen Sime, 360iSR President
“This joint offering is the most advanced, and comprehensive institutional unmanned aviation indoctrination offering on the market. With the rapid increase in global UAV acquisition and utilization, the industry has been waiting for a complete end-to-end capability with access to vast on-shore, low-risk airspace for some time. Canada has a long and distinguished aviation history in training Commonwealth and NATO allies and this offering will continue that tradition for the unmanned paradigm.”
Sean Greenwood, Canadian UAVs President
Training with Canadian UAVs and 360iSR in Canada will afford clients low-risk, expansive airspace – a relief from airspace constrained programs in other countries — where cadets can be trained without assets being risked over water or in operationally unrealistic restricted airspace. Also, clients can employ their UAS assets (legacy or newer procurements), as well as Canadian UAVs aircraft, all while elevating their UAS training programs to an internationally recognized and interoperable level.
…ends
Notes to editors: Issued by Philip Hicks, Pravo Consulting: phil@pravoconsulting.com M: +44 (0) 7467 510339
In 2020, after a multi-year audit, Transport Canada granted Canadian UAVs the first in Canada:
Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), for commercial purposes, in uncontrolled airspace
SFOC to conduct BVLOS testing and training at the Foremost UAS Test Range in Alberta, Canada. Foremost is a dedicated UAV test and evaluation range roughly the size of Luxembourg (700 NM^2) with an elevation limit of 18,000 ft ASL
These authorizations follow years of enterprise-level operations –including maintenance procedures, a safety management system, and the development of Detect and Avoid technology called SparrowhawkTM Radar – and build on Canadian UAVs’s previous performance milestones conducting the first BVLOS pipeline inspection at the Foremost UAS Test Range (2017), and the first research and development BVLOS SFOC in unrestricted airspace during the Transport Canada trials in 2018.
About 360ISR
360iSR is a globally acknowledged company that delvers full spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services. Their Team is drawn from ex-military operators, honed in the skills of command and tactical ISR and UAS employment. The lead instructors assigned to the Canadian project all are qualified to the highest standard: The Qualified Weapons Instructor (ISR) patch, which is equivalent to the Weapons Officer patch of the USAF. Instructors have commanded ISR and UAS operations, be that as a Tactical Co-ordinator or as part of an ISR Division.
360iSR works with clients such as NATO Air Command, the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the United Nations, and the Spanish Joint Forces. On the global footing, 360iSR has worked with the Singaporean National Security Services on an Urban UAS project, the Guyana Government looking at the employment of an ISR system to counter illegal border and drugs activity and the Botswana Defence Force employing manned surveillance to counter poaching.
About Canadian UAVs
Canadian UAVs is a leading provider of UAS services including training, managed services, and consultancy; and a Lockheed Martin small UAS distributor in Canada. The company’s base philosophy is to ensure that projects are conducted with the highest possible aviation standards.
Over the past five years, Canadian UAVs has pioneered and now validated its approach of ground-based non-cooperative Artificial Intelligence enabled radar that facilitates safe separation from manned aircraft. The Sparrowhawk software incorporates internationally accepted risk modeling and deconfliction pathways presented in either a stand-alone format or embedded directly into the Ground Control Station’s display. The resulting presentation provides for complete situational and operational awareness. Detect and Avoid technology and training is mandatory for NATO Class II and III UAS in non-segregated airspace. Canadian UAVs is the only company with both the technology and training required.
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Terrafugia Inc. Launches New Brand and Commercial UAV
Commaris debuts flagship product at Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, NV. – Terrafugia Inc. today announces the launch of a new brand, CommarisTM, and the brand’s first product, the SEEKERTM, an innovative, electric, fixed-wing/VTOL hybrid aircraft designed explicitly for autonomous commercial aerial applications. Commaris will debut the SEEKER at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas from Sept. 7 through Sept. 9.
The SEEKER has a long-endurance capability with more than three hours of flight time without a battery change, saving time and reducing costs while supporting multiple payload configurations at a top speed of over 60 mph. The UAV employs an advanced, fully composite airframe with a wingspan of 15 feet and a payload lifting capability of up to 10 pounds. Its modular design is easy to assemble and disassemble in the field in under three minutes.
“We are very excited to launch our new brand, Commaris, and its first product, the SEEKER. This UAV is designed to perform a wide variety of commercial inspection operations in applications such as power, gas, oil, mapping, agriculture, and security,” said Kevin Colburn, President of Terrafugia and Commaris. “Our team of experienced aviation professionals has created an extremely capable, commercial-grade UAV that, in many situations, will deliver results that typical rotary-wing UAVs or helicopters cannot come close to providing.”
The SEEKER’s innovative, aerodynamic design includes powerful but quiet electric motors that help it achieve a noise signature of only 40 decibels on the ground and near-silence at 500 feet AGL. The UAV is the ideal aircraft for security, powerline patrols, and missions operating in noise-sensitive environments, ensuring operations will be completed quickly and quietly.
The SEEKER’s large payload-carrying capability will be customizable with a variety of modular options, such as a 30x optical zoom EO/IR camera for inspection, a 120-megapixel high-resolution camera for terrain mapping and 3D modeling, a six-band multispectral camera designed for precision agriculture analysis, a LiDAR system, a laser methane sensor, or a corona discharge sensor, most of which will feature the ability to stream data to the operator in near-real time.
Commaris will debut the SEEKER during a live demonstration at the UAV Expo’s “Beyond The Cage Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations” taking place on Sept. 7, 2021, at 9:25 a.m. PT at the Henderson Equestrian Park North. Representatives will be available for questions after the demonstration and at the Expo’s exhibitor hall at the Mirage Las Vegas, booth #407.
CommarisTM, a brand of Terrafugia, Inc., delivers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for commercial operations in power, gas, oil, mapping, agriculture, security, and more. Its flagship UAV, the SEEKERTM, provides industry-leading flight times with ultra-low noise output, fast and precise vertical takeoff and landing, and dual-GPS systems with automated route planning. The SEEKER’s large payload-carrying capability is customizable with a variety of modular options, such as a 30x optical zoom EO/IR camera for inspection, a 120-megapixel high-resolution camera for terrain mapping and 3D modeling, a six-band multispectral camera designed for precision agriculture analysis, a LiDAR system, a laser methane sensor, or a corona discharge sensor, most of which will feature the ability to stream data to the operator in near-real time. Terrafugia and Commaris are members of the Geely Technology Group. For more information on Commaris, please visit www.Commaris.com.
About Terrafugia
Terrafugia was founded in 2006 with the goal of delivering the world’s first practical flying car. After making steady progress, in 2017, Terrafugia was acquired by the Geely Holding Group and began leveraging contributions from sister companies Volvo Cars, Lotus Cars and CEVT. In early 2021, Terrafugia received the first FAA airworthiness certificate for a roadable aircraft in 60 years.
Today, as part of the Geely Technology Group, Terrafugia’s team of experienced professionals is focused on the launch of our new brand, CommarisTM, which delivers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for commercial inspections in power, gas, oil, construction, agriculture, security, and other industries.
Flare Bright wins UK MOD Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) follow-up contract.
Following a successful initial DASA contract to prove the concept of true autonomy in drones, Flare Bright have been awarded a larger follow-up contract to provide the same autonomy in powered drones to give increase persistence and endurance. This project will deliver a fixed wing drone that can fly without GPS or any remote-control, when other drones are unflyable due to jamming and denial.
Flare Bright’s latest £425,391 contract lasts for 13 months and recently commenced, and follows on from the completion of an initial £226,500 contract that successfully concluded in April 2021. It will be announced at DSEI, to coincide with Flare Bright being selected to showcase its success at DASA’s stand (H2-110) and representatives will be talking through the innovative technology throughout the show.
The military is increasingly using drones. GPS will often be denied and spoofed, and electromagnetic communication used for remote control will be jammed. Drones typically have an unsophisticated approach to dealing with jamming, outages or failure. Flare Bright has developed the technology to develop a truly autonomous drone that doesn’t rely on any of these methods and uses un-jammable internal means of flight control and navigation.
Flare Bright’s existing autonomous gliding drone has proven this and has now been selected by the US Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment and has been promoted on the UK Government’s website as a Case Study.
Flare Bright aims to extend its proven autonomous flight system’s persistence to perform a mission for 5-10 minutes without GPS or any other communications in a fixed-wing powered drone.
Any military would like to develop a truly autonomous drone that doesn’t rely on GPS or remote control and just uses unjammable internal means of flight control and navigation. As DASA itself states, “The UK Defence and Security sector has demanding requirements for accurate and resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT). When Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are either absent, denied, degraded or unreliable, a platform’s Inertial Navigation System (INS) will drift; PNT uncertainty will grow, and mission success may be compromised. As the future operational environment becomes increasingly congested, cluttered, connected and constrained, advances in current navigation technologies will be required to avoid mission failure.” This project will achieve the next level of practical development in this area.
John Binns, the recently retired Deputy Director of Strategy for the MOD Test and Evaluation team stated, “From my engagement with FlareBright, following a TechUK Defence Test and Evaluation conference, I have been increasingly impressed by their innovative methods by which they use machine learning and AI coupled with synthetic environments to rapidly test and prototype their autonomous SnapShot system validated by short duration live trial data.
I believe the innovation shown by FlareBright in their testing and prototyping has the potential to provide Defence with the ability to accelerate the development of unmanned and autonomous systems and have supported your efforts by providing opportunities to present their innovative technique to FLC’s at the Test & Evaluation Futures Programme Board.”
Former Paratrooper and Flare Bright’s Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Daniels said, “Every soldier knows that instant, tactical aerial surveillance is vital on any operation. To provide this to front line soldiers in a super lightweight form, with no training needed, and that can work in any challenging environment has to be good news for soldier survivability. We’re delighted we’re helping out.”
More info on Flare Bright
Flare Bright is a rapidly growing aerospace company pushing the boundaries of embedded AI technology to develop autonomous drones. Flare Bright is developing a number of drones with different characteristics, but all based on a core autonomous, miniature, inertial navigation system built on cutting edge machine learning enabled digital twin technology, which facilitates image-capture, wind measurement and sensing for a wide range of civil and defence customers. It has successfully won project-funding from the MOD’s Defence and Security Accelerator and is part of 2 UKRI Future Flight projects.
Networx3 UAV capture condition of Blackburn’s historic Griffin Lodge
It’s Blackburn’s historic Griffin Lodge – as you’ve never seen it before.
The Grade II listed building is to undergo a multi-million-pound transformation from neglected and burnt out shell into a state-of-the-art GP super-surgery serving thousands of patients.
That revival is one step closer thanks to a drone survey by Burnley firm Networx3 UAV which has captured the condition of the 197-year-old landmark ahead of its redevelopment.
Networx3 UAV managing director and CAA-approved professional pilot Ian Ashworth led the Griffin Lodge drone flight.
He said: “Most local people in Blackburn will have walked past Griffin Lodge in recent years and thought ‘what a pity’ at its sorry state. Flying a drone over it, swooping through broken windows and hovering beside collapsed walls has given surveyors and developers an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the state of disrepair.
“The high-definition photos and video we produced will give a critical starting point to bring this unloved shell back to a vibrant and useful public building once again.”
The flight over and inside the three-storey building using Networx3 UAV’s industry-leading Elios2 and Matrice 210 drones identified dangerous walls, where the roof remains intact and weather damage without inspectors having to put themselves in harm’s way by entering the dangerous structure in person.
The Networx3 UAV inspection report, which flags that the internal layout of Griffin Lodge is in danger of collapse, will now be used to plan the next step in turning the vandalism and arson-blighted heritage building into a purpose-designed health facility offering care seven days a week.
The drone flight was commissioned by Accrington-based chartered surveyors Michael Holden in conjunction with Burnley architectural practice CRC Design.
CRC Design boss Cyril Cambridge said: “The quality of the photos and video from the Networx3 UAV drones has blown our socks off. It’s given us an immediate and detailed view of what condition Griffin Lodge is in. Because you can view from above and lots of different angles using the drone you can see things that a normal inspection wouldn’t reveal at ground level.
“There’s a real need in our industry for drones. It eliminates the need for scaffolding and cherry pickers to get eyes on awkward places. The benefit of drones is not well understood but it’s a great new tool at our disposal and will be a massive help in lots of situations.
”I can see its use in reviewing fire or water damaged buildings, roof inspections and other historic buildings like Griffin Lodge, such as churches, because drones are a lot safer and offer peace of mind. A drone can get us into areas that we can’t get into safely ordinarily.”
The façade of Griffin Lodge and the coach house will be retained in the new health centre and a modern extension will be added.
HISTORY OF GRIFFIN LODGE:
1824: Griffin Lodge is built by Blackburn cotton magnate, Thomas Dugdale
1854: During Thomas Dugdale’s tenure as Mayor of Blackburn 50 acres of land surrounding Griffin Lodge was bought by Blackburn Corporation to be used as a public park.
1937: The Dugdale family sold Griffin Lodge to the Blackburn Corporation.
1974: The entrance and stone setts of the roadway were Grade II listed.
1986: The rest of Griffin Lodge becomes Grade II listed.
1990s: Several attempted sales of Griffin Lodge by the council come to nothing.
2006: Last occupant of Griffin Lodge – the North West Museums Service – moves out leaving the building unoccupied.
2013: An arson attack in October leaves Griffin Lodge as a burned-out shell.
2014: A further arson attack in January destroys the stables.
2016: Remedial work takes place to remove fire-damaged materials and make safe dangerous parts of the building.
2019: Plans are revealed to redevelop Griffin Lodge into a health and wellbeing facility housing Limefield, Witton and Redlam’s GP surgeries, on-site pharmacy and car park. The centre will provide elderly care, NHS health checks, provide advice on obesity management, diabetes service, mental health service provision for adults, adolescents and children and education classes on the management of health and well-being.
