Drone developer American Robotics has become the first company licensed to operate fully-automated drones in US airspace, without human operators on site.
The company says that approval by the Federal Aviation Administration will be a milestone in the evolution of drones, making them scalable for widespread commercial use.
American Robotics’ Scout System features advanced acoustic detect-and-avoid technology that enables its drones to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft at all times. It has proved that its drones can operate safely in the US National Airspace System, even when flying beyond the operator’s line of sight.
A remote observer monitors the drone as an added layer of safety but does not pilot it. Previously, the FAA required visual observers stationed along the flight path, or other restrictions which the company says drastically inhibited the value and scalability of commercial drone use in the US.
Each Scout drone is housed in a weatherproof base station which allows autonomous charging, data processing and analysis at the edge, and data transmission. Once installed in the field, all aspects of the Scout’s operation are automated, allowing it to gather and analyse ultra-high resolution data several times daily without expensive human labour. The fully autonomous, AI-powered drone can collect data on a schedule, or operate missions on demand.
The system also includes ScoutView, a secure web portal and API which allows remote interaction with the system, data, and analytics from anywhere.
The company envisages wide applications over a range of industries. “With these approvals, American Robotics is ushering in a new era of widespread automated drone operations,” said Reese Mozer, chief executive and co-founder. “We can begin safely operating our automated platform for the benefit of the energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and security markets, helping unlock the projected $100bn commercial drone market.”
In November, a consortium including sees.ai, Sellafield, Atkins and Skanska won UK government funding to help develop a beyond line of sight drone system.