Mobilicom’s SkyHopper VU remote viewing terminal is specifically designed for commercial and industrial drones and robotics. (Photo: Mobilicom)
Mobilicom Ltd., a global mission-critical-communications solution provider, will present its SkyHopper end-to-end solutions for smart drones and robotics at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Xponential 2019 trade show.
According to the company, SkyHopper brings all the key components that turn a drone into a smart drone. The SkyHopper product suite includes communication data links, cybersecurity and encryption that has been validated by the Israel Ministry of Defense and other government organizations; video processing; controllers and viewers.
The product line includes the SkyHopper PRO bi-directional data link, SkyHopper PRO V integrated video processing, SkyHopper ControlAir ruggedized controller and the SkyHopper VU remote viewing terminal.
According to the company, the SkyHopper PRO bi-directional data link delivers long range and non-line of sight communication that supports multiple transmission modes. The SkyHopper PRO V includes a dual-camera input, three camera interfaces, dual built-in video encoders and decoders, and local recording ability. The SkyHopper ControlAir allows users to control a drone or robot, as well as transmit or view a video and data while operating in air and ground missions. Finally, the SkyHopper VU offers a mobile HD video and telemetry receiver terminal for multiple viewers, specifically designed for commercial and industrial drones and robotics.
“We have done our homework in understanding what our customers need in order for their drones to successfully execute their missions,” said Oren Elkayam, CEO of Mobilicom. “As a result, while others focus on offerings for today, we offer solutions also essential for the future survival and scalability of commercial drones of robotics. With proprietary drone cybersecurity and radio technology and a highly experienced customer success team, SkyHopper has maintained a strong base of over 50 customers and counting.”
According to Mobilicom, its goal is to enable commercial drone and robotics manufacturers to increase their chances for success by focusing on their own business objectives, reducing time to market and minimizing resource expenditures.
AUVSI Xponential 2019 — the huge exhibition and conference built around unmanned everything — will run at the West Building, McCormick Place Convention Center, April 29 to May 2 in Chicago.
This is the premier show for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) group and its many members and supporters who have interest in unmanned technology — 8,500 attendees with connection to unmanned and autonomous capability are expected to walk the exhibit hall to see the latest products, hear numerous related presentations, participate in educational courses, and mingle with other like-minded people in the industry.
I was looking for a way to provide a brief overview of the companies exhibiting; a sample cross-section to provide an insight on what to expect. But with more than 700 exhibitors, it’s a difficult thing to do. Then I realized that the company show preview emails in my inbox were from organizations that were actually quite representative of the industry, and I had my overview selection.
Flyability’s drones are adapted for inspection tasks, both indoors and out, with an exterior protective cage. Routine inspection jobs indoors, underground and around complex pipework become quicker, safer and are fully documented by high-resolution video and stills.
This all enables the reduction of costs and process-interruption downtime of industrial inspections, while also reducing to a large degree the risks for inspection professionals. Industries using these inspection drones include power generation, oil and gas, chemicals, maritime, infrastructures and utilities, and public safety.
AeroVironment’s drones are used extensively by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, and in the commercial sector they focus on tools for agriculture.
Quantix drone. (Photo: AeroVironment)
The VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) Quantix drone system is fully automated for takeoff, flight and landing, enabling mapping of farm acreage to monitor crop health to identify anomalies due to water, insect, weed and disease so their impact on yield can be minimized.
Valqari has developed a drone mailbox that is interoperable with a large number of delivery drones and enables drop-off of packages in residential neighborhoods.
The Valqari drone mailbox automatically accepts packages and safely stores them until the recipient opens the box later to retrieve them.
Cepton Technologies makes lidar systems more commonly used for automotive obstacle detection, but now customized for UAV integration and use. Its UAV lidar system provides long-range, high-resolution and low-cost mapping capabilities in a lightweight package. With a scanning range of 200 meters, high-density map-data acquisition becomes possible.
Deseret UAS is a non-profit working to bring UAS business to Utah — the organization offers information, promotes UAS companies and offers test-range access in Utah. In collaboration with Utah State University AggieAir, FAA authority for flight testing in wide open; low-risk operational areas of Utah can be accessed.
And, of course, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), manufacturer of the well-known Predator military drone, will exhibit. At Xponential 2018, GA-ASI unveiled its MQ-9B SkyGuardian certifiable drone system. Through the year, the company has progressed towards certification of the system for flight within the U.S. civilian National Airspace System and the civil airspace of other countries around the world.
GA-ASI’s latest media release recounted how an MQ-9B was flown by the company’s Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) on March 9, including both take-off and landing. The CGCS architecture separates flight and mission-critical functions. Off-the-shelf avionics and flight computers are used for flight-critical functions, and mission-critical functions run alongside GA-ASI’s Advanced Cockpit payload and weapons equipment.
Meanwhile, High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) unmanned aircraft are back in the news with what appears to be a crash during the sensitive take-off/climb-out regime. The Airbus Zephyr aircraft — with an 82-foot wingspan, but weighing less than 75 pounds — was engaged in a test campaign in Western Australia when the ground abruptly intervened on March 15.
Airbus is working with the UK Ministry of Defence to demonstrate the operational capabilities of the UAV and its anticipated payload options. Once airborne, Zephyr is intended to climb out to upwards of 65,000 feet into the stratosphere — previously achieving a maximum altitude of 74,000 feet — and has so far been able to remain airborne for almost 26 days. The object is to create a commercial, reusable, reconfigurable satellite-like capability for communications and surveillance applications.
Airbus and MoD are undertaking a crash investigation to determine what exactly happened and how to prevent future recurrence. The incident occurred about four hours into a demonstration flight, and (reading between the lines) may have been related to rapid weather changes that destabilized the UAV while in the take-off and climb-out phase. An automated launch system is in the works — currently Zephyr is man-handled for take-off.
Other HAPS programs include AeroVironment and Japan’s Softbank, Astigan and the UK Ordnance Survey, BAE Systems and Prismatic, and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences. Thales, meanwhile, is apparently focusing on an approach using an autonomous airship.
So some good news, some not so good. Lots of attendees are expected in Chicago for the AUVSI Xponential show, with new developments in unmanned aircraft, robotics, and unmanned ground and water systems anticipated in the exhibition hall. There will be lots of people in the industry with whom to exchange ideas and conduct business to conduct, hopefully just as spring arrives in the windy city.
Meanwhile, over the coming months Airbus will no doubt continue to work out how to overcome the latest problems in HAPS technology and operations.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has formed an Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) Advocacy Committee to focus on the development of policy positions to support the advancement of the industry.
“Unmanned maritime systems allow military and commercial operators alike to go farther and deeper than ever before,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “The input provided by the UMS Advocacy Committee will help us speak with a unified voice and enable all our members to advocate for the growth of the industry.”
The UMS Advocacy Committee will be chaired by Thomas Reynolds, vice president of business development for Hydroid Inc./Kongsberg Maritime. Reynolds, who leads all Kongsberg Maritime business with the U.S. government, previously served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, where he served as commander of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Task Group, U.S. Fifth Fleet, among other roles.
Reynolds holds a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an executive master of business administration from Benedictine College.
Wayne Prender, vice president for Applied Technology and Advance Programs at Textron Systems, will be the committee’s vice chair. In his role at Textron, Prender is responsible for engineering development programs, advancing areas such as the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle and Cased-Telescoped Weapons and Ammunition, as well as emerging capabilities and development programs.
Prender is a former commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, where he was deployed to Iraq and awarded the Bronze Star. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from St. Louis University, a master’s degree in technology management and a master of business administration from the University of Maryland University College.
The committee also includes representatives from BAE Systems, L3 Technologies, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Seaborn Defense.
The UMS Advocacy Committee formalized a set of policy priorities to help guide the committee’s legislative and regulatory actions. The priorities state that the committee shall:
Establish the UMS Advocacy Committee as the preeminent industry voice influencing acquisition and regulatory policies and processes.
Facilitate the growth of UMS through active engagement with the government and commercial sectors.
Collaborate with ship owners, operators, shipyards, ports, federal maritime agencies, technology developers, classification societies and academia to further integrate advanced automation for maritime platforms into the domestic market.
Develop the future of the UMS workforce through technology-focused education.
“We know our diverse new partners will help us address a broad range of complex drone integration challenges,” said FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell. “The fields that could see immediate opportunities from the program include commerce, photography, emergency management, public safety, precision agriculture and infrastructure inspections.”
The 10 programs are:
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Durant, Oklahoma
City of San Diego, California
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority, Herndon, Virginia
Kansas Department of Transportation
Lee County Mosquito Control District
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
North Carolina Department of Transportation
North Dakota Department of Transportation
City of Reno, Nevada
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Over the next two and a half years, the selectees will collect drone data involving night operations, flights over people and beyond the pilot’s line of sight, package delivery, detect-and-avoid technologies and the reliability and security of data links between pilot and aircraft.
The data collected from these operations will help the FAA:
craft new enabling rules that allow more complex low-altitude operations,
identify ways to balance local and national interests related to UAS integration,
improve communications with local, state and tribal jurisdictions,
address security and privacy risks, and
accelerate the approval of operations that currently require special authorizations.
First announced in October 2017, the White House initiative partners the FAA with local, state and tribal governments, which then partner with private industry to safely explore the further integration of drone operations.
The program will help tackle the most significant challenges to integrating drones into the national airspace and will reduce risks to public safety and security.
Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), issued the following statement on the announcement of the participants selected for the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program:
“The participants selected for the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program represent a commitment by governments at all levels to safely and efficiently integrate UAS into the national airspace. As more and more businesses and public institutions embrace UAS, it is more important than ever to have a process in which states, municipalities and tribal governments can provide input on federal policy without infringing on the U.S. government’s jurisdiction over the airspace.
“The data the participants will collect on UAS operations will help shape a national UAS policy framework, including for a UAS traffic management system and expanded UAS operations such as flying over people or beyond line of sight,” Wynne said. “We look forward to seeing the results of their work and the contributions these groups will make to keeping our skies safe.”
According to AUVSI, the potential economic benefit of drones in the nation’s air space, in less than a decade, is estimated at $82 billion and could create 100,000 jobs.
Drone maker DJI issued a statement saying it looks forward to the advances in drone regulatory procedures that will be enabled by the innovative proposals offered by the 10 state, local and tribal governments.
“Regulators and governments want to develop safe systems that encourage the beneficial uses of drones while addressing concerns about them, and today’s announcement is a major step forward in this effort,” said Brendan Schulman, DJI vice president of Policy & Legal Affairs. “By connecting state, local and tribal governments with industry partners and federal support, the Integration Pilot Program makes it easier to find ways for American businesses, governments and individuals to put drones to good uses all across the country.”
The event convenes the global community of commercial and defense leaders in intelligent robotics, drones and unmanned systems. Check out news, photos and videos from the show.
According to AUVSI, the experts will present keynotes devoted to themes critical to the advancement and growth of unmanned systems.
On Tuesday, May 1, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s David Autor and PrecisionHawk’s Michael Chasen will highlight how unmanned systems are changing the way we work and how technology is influencing different industries.
On Wednesday, May 2, the University of North Carolina’s Zeynep Tufekci, Lockheed Martin’s Stephanie Hill and UPS’ Eduardo Martinez will explore the cross section between technology and society. This keynote will also cover the emergence of artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and robotics in the military, and the automated delivery of medication and vaccines to remote areas around the globe.
Finally, on Thursday, May 3, Northrop Grumman’s Chris Hernandez, as well as a panel, will discuss the humanitarian and public safety applications of unmanned systems to provide aid and support.
The panel will consist of the National Council on Public Safety UAS’ Charles L. Werner, Texas A&M University’s Robin Murphy, the Alameda County (California) Sheriff’s Office’s Thomas Madigan and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Mike Morgan.
“We are pleased to welcome this exceptional line-up of experts to keynote the themed sessions at Xponential 2018,” said Brian Wynne, AUVSI president and CEO. “These outstanding speakers will enhance Xponential’s educational programming by lending their expertise, experience and unique perspective in unmanned systems, giving attendees a priceless opportunity to apply critical learning to real-life business challenges.”
A conference aimed at military and government agency decision-makers is scheduled for Feb. 6–8.
AUVSI Unmanned Systems – Defense. Protection. Security. (USDPS) will highlight what’s next for the defense, protection and security industries. The conference has been reimagined to include more opportunities to learn from industry and government thought-leaders and shop for the latest technology, said AUVSI.
Expanded focus beyond the military includes government agencies such as Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Energy, the FBI and NOAA, as well as other public safety agencies.
Thought leaders and subject matter experts from the military, government agencies and public safety outlets will provide details and insight on investments, innovation and sustainment, including what’s next with artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
More than 50 companies will be on site to provide military and government agencies with an inside view of new technologies and trends.
In addition, a public safety educational lineup defines how to best use unmanned systems for explosive ordinance disposal and HAZMAT applications, addresses the counter-UAS threat at home and abroad, and provides insight on how disaster and emergency responders are using unmanned systems.
The conference will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Those registering before Nov. 19 can take advantage of advanced rates.
The RFI is an opportunity for industry and governments to submit ideas to define the issues so that global solutions can be proposed, debated and agreed on.
As UAS operations become more complex and are increasingly used for both commercial and recreational purposes, UAS traffic management systems, or UTM, are necessary to seamlessly integrate UAS into the airspace and existing air traffic management systems.
An operational UTM will ensure the safe and efficient use of the airspace as UAS operations become more complex, such as with established navigation routes and point-to-point route segments requiring specific equipage requirements. UTM will integrate UAS into the existing airspace infrastructure to ensure the continued safety of the airspace.
Any framework for a UTM will include many components, three of which are fundamental and will therefore be addressed as a matter of priority:
Registration system from which data is accessible in real time to allow remote identification and tracking of each UA, its operator/owner and location of the remote pilot/control station. To accommodate UA that are increasingly transported from one state to another for either recreational or professional use, this database should allow global access.
Communications systems for control of the UA and for tracking all UA within the UTM area. The communications system used for tracking UA must be able to identify when a manned aircraft is entering UTM airspace and provide an acceptable level of protection between it and UA operating in the airspace. Furthermore, it must facilitate detection of potential collisions with other UA and with obstacles such that appropriate avoidance action can be taken.
Geofencing-like systems that will support automatic updates by national authorities on the 28-day aeronautical information regulation and control (AIRAC) cycle to prevent UA operation in sensitive security areas and restricted or danger areas such as near aerodromes.
ICAO is soliciting proposals for a global framework for UTM ahead of its Drone Enable UAS Industry Symposium, which will take place in Montreal, Canada, in September.
“ICAO is the natural agency to be gathering together the best and brightest from governments and industry to define the problem so that global solutions can be proposed, debated and agreed on,” said Leslie Cary, ICAO remotely piloted aircraft systems program manager.
“Collaboration between stakeholders is key to addressing complex issues such as UTM,” added Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “AUVSI is pleased ICAO is taking steps to explore solutions for UTM that will allow companies to operate globally under the same standards, reducing barriers to innovation and improving safety and security for all aircraft – both manned and unmanned. We look forward to working with ICAO to draw awareness and facilitate industry engagement in the RFI process.”
For more information about the RFI, visit ICAO’s RFI website. Submissions need to be received no later than July 15.
A May 19 meeting convened by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) confirmed there is broad-based support among key stakeholders from the private and public sectors for ANSI to establish an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Standardization Collaborative (UASSC).
The UASSC will work to coordinate and accelerate the development of the standards and conformity assessment programs needed to facilitate the safe, mass integration of UAS (drones) into the national airspace system of the United States.
Initial priority areas of focus are expected to include:
UAS airworthiness
command and control systems
remote identification
flight operations, including operations over people and beyond visual line of sight
licensing, training, qualification and certification
sense and avoid systems
safety and risk management
An initial kick-off meeting is anticipated in the third quarter of 2017. To stay up to date regarding future developments, email Jim McCabe, ANSI senior director, standards facilitation, at [email protected].
The collaborative will also focus on international coordination and adaptability, with the goal of fostering the growth of the UAS market. The work effort will entail the development of a standardization roadmap to identify existing standards and standards in development, define where gaps exist and recommend additional work that is needed, along with a timeline for its completion and organizations that can perform the work.
ANSI Standardization Collaboratives are formed to support emerging technologies and national and global priorities by advancing cross-sector coordination in the development and compatibility of standards and conformance programs.
Ultimately, the purpose of such initiatives is to describe the current standards landscape, articulate standardization needs, inform resource allocation for standards participation, and drive coordinated standards activity while minimizing duplication of effort.
As a neutral facilitator, ANSI has a successful track record of having convened a number of such collaboratives in areas as diverse as homeland security, electric vehicles, energy efficiency in the built environment and, most recently, additive manufacturing.
The May 19 meeting drew close to 70 participants representing more than 40 organizations from industry, trade associations, standards developing organizations (SDOs), federal agencies, academia and others. The public- and private-sector co-chairs for the meeting were Earl Lawrence, director of the UAS Integration Office, Federal Aviation Administration, and Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).
ANSI has been in dialogue with numerous stakeholders over the past year on this topic, including via panel discussions during the 2016 ANSI Joint Member Forum and at the April 2017 ANSI Company Member Forum. A number of SDOs already are involved in UAS standardization, underscoring the need for coordination to achieve a coherent set of standards.
“Given our history of bringing public- and private-sector stakeholders together to identify standardization needs to support new technologies, ANSI is well suited to facilitate the need for standards coordination in this exciting new technology area,” said ANSI president and CEO S. Joe Bhatia.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Xponential 2017 show, May 8-11 in Dallas, convened a global community of commercial and defense suppliers in intelligent robotics, drones and unmanned systems. It showcases the broad forefront of autonomous vehicles generally, but in-flight in particular, and there were plenty of expanded capabilities and expanding applications on display.
In one of several keynotes over the course of the four-day show, Intel Corporation CEO Brian Krzanich predicted that in the oncoming era of driverless cars and autonomous aircraft, the most important aspect of such vehicles will be the data they collect rather than their performance. Big data and cloud processing are somehow tied into UAVs in his vision of things. Sometime soon, he forecast, autonomous devies “will have the ability to make decisions.”
Swarming drones have military potential, according to a 33-year career Marine who now works at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Bill Powers described how a Navy program, the Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST) uses drones to jam enemy communications and waste its resources by drawing fire. The Naval Research Laboratory dploys Close-in Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA), with onboard sensors that relay atmospheric conditions as well as possition, time and altitude relating to battlefield conditions.
Watching the Watchers
With all the drones in the air, managing them and keeping the commercial airspace safe and uncluttered has become a towering problem. Several companies at AUVSI introduced unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems.
Unmanned traffic management becoming a priority (image courtesy Gryphon Systems).
Among them, Gryphon Sensors introduced Mobile Skylight, an operational mobile UTM system designed for rapid deployment.
Drone security applications span, according to the company, airport security, critical infrastructure protection, VIP security, embassy protection and border security. In the beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) realm, UTM applications to be enabled by Mobile Skylight include: first responders (EMS, fire and police), precision agriculture, delivery, utility and infrastructure inspection, media and entertainment, mapping and surveying, construction and mining.
In short, everywhere drones go, they will need to be tracked and managed.
Mobile Skylight combines multiple technologies and an array of self-contained sensors, to serve as a mobile command center. The system is provided in a four-wheel drive van with off-road capabilities. It also integrates with third-party sensor inputs, and automatically records essential data for post-mission analysis and playback.
Using a dual-band mesh network, Mobile Skylight is capable of forward deploying a multispectral suite of sensors. Its integrated radar has been designed for 3-D detection of low-flying, small UAS and general aviation at ranges out to 10 kilometers and 27 kilometers, respectively. The system has built-in target tracking and classification to help quickly identify cooperative and non-cooperative targets. It also tracks multiple, simultaneous targets, providing a comprehensive picture of the airspace.
One novel application is heavy-lift drones for the construction and perhaps open-pit mining, quarrying and other weighty sectors. Griff Aviation, a Norwegian company that has set up a manufacturing plant in Florida, displayed its Super Heavy-Lift model, the Griff 300.
Super Heavy-Lift Drone from Griff Aviation image courtesy Gryphon Systems
The GRIFF 300 is an unmanned aircraft with customizable payload options that make it suitable for a variety of professional applications. The company states that it can lift 225kg (496lbs) in addition to its own 75kg (165lbs) weight. It features a flight time of 30-45mins, depending on payload. “The next model that will be produced will be able to lift 800kg (1,764lbs). Then we will continue to increase lifting capacity even further,” said CEO Leif Johan Holand.
Skylift Global drone prepping for flight. image courtesy Gryphon Systems
Several aisles over on the show floor, Skylift Global also featured a drone in the heavy lifting class. “Current prototype is 100 pounds and carried an additional 100 pounds easy. Currently undergoing testing for up to 400 pounds,” says its CEO Amir Emadi.
Skylift has signed agreements with companies in southern California to start deliveries of cold-chain logistics. Its heavy-lift capability can carry the added weight of refrigeration (think Amazon Fresh, says Emadi). Skylift also is in collaboration with JPL and Caltech to showcase a platform to DARPA for autonomous sense and avoid.
Neither company has GPS aboard their workhorses yet but see no problem and plenty of opportunity in adding it as their business develops.
Experienced GNSS Companies
NovAtel had on display its range of high-precision GNSS receivers, antennas, and augmented systems for ground, marine and airborne unmanned applications. Its equipment meets requirements for military and commercial applications, and specific to UAV applications the company offered the OEM625S SAASM GPS+civil RTK receiver, GAJT anti-jam antennas, TerraStar PPP correction services and SPAN GNSS+INS for 3D position, attitude and velocity.
The latter will be featured in the cover story of GPS World’s June issue, differentiating performance of various grades of IMUs in a tightly-coupled inertial/GNSS integration. Exploring IMU specifications and correlating them to performance of a final product can be daunting, as differences between MEMS sensors are not always apparent. The article will present achievable performances in fusion technology across a range of IMUs among the best in their respective performance categories.
Spirent Communications took a dual approach, displaying what they termed an entry-level simulator (although fully upgradeable as needs develop) for UAV manufacturers who are new to GPS signal testing, and even the need for it. They also had on hand their fully configured GSS7000 for multi-frequency testing, also with a modular approach to enable the precision GNSS simulation system to expand with users’ needs.
The GSS7000 series offers emulation of all civil GNSS systems and regional augmentation systems, and allows devices to be tested under a multitude of operating environments and error conditions, the company said. The GSS7000 has the flexibility to reconfigure satellite constellations, channels and frequencies between test runs or test cases. Four software control variants are offered.
As UAS operations become more complex and are increasingly used for both commercial and recreational purposes, UAS traffic management systems, or UTM, are necessary to seamlessly integrate UAS into the airspace and existing air traffic management systems. ICAO will solicit proposals for a global framework for UTM ahead of its Drone Enable UAS Industry Symposium, which will take place in Montreal, Canada in September.
“ICAO is the natural agency to be gathering together the best and brightest from governments and industry to define the problem so that global solutions can be proposed, debated and agreed,” said Leslie Cary, remotely piloted aircraft systems program manager at ICAO.
An operational UTM will ensure the safe and efficient use of the airspace as UAS operations become more complex, such as with established navigation routes and point-to-point route segments requiring specific equipage requirements. UTM will integrate UAS into the existing airspace infrastructure to ensure the continued safety of the airspace.
“Collaboration between stakeholders is key to addressing complex issues such as UTM,” added Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “AUVSI is pleased ICAO is taking steps to explore solutions for UTM that will allow companies to operate globally under the same standards, reducing barriers to innovation and improving safety and security for all aircraft – both manned and unmanned. We look forward to working with ICAO to draw awareness and facilitate industry engagement in the RFI process.”
