Flying Lion, Iris Automation add BVLOS Features for First Responder Drones
Drone service provider Flying Lion and avionics safety provider Iris Automation have announced a new partnership to provide Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs with additional airspace awareness features. The partnership will see the addition of Iris Automation’s Casia G ground-based detect-and-alert system to the Flying Lion suite of services.
Flying Lion has worked with several law enforcement agencies to provide rapid emergency response and aerial assessment through its DFR program, including the Chula Vista Police Department, Redondo Beach PD, Santa Monica PD, and Beverly Hills PD in California. The company has logged more than 22,000 DFR flights with these departments.
In order to comply with current FAA requirements, Flying Lion said the DFR programs have been utilizing human remote pilots in command (RPICs) and visual observers (VOs) to allow for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in their cities. While this has been necessary to comply with FAA certificate of authorizations (COAs) for these agencies, it is not optimal for ongoing or large-scale DFR operations. DFR programs enable the immediate dispatch of a drone in response to a 911 call for the purpose of real-time aerial situational awareness, in advance of, and to support ground units to enhance community and first responder safety.
With the implementation of Casia G, the next generation of DFR programs will have the capability to create a volume of surveilled airspace to conduct drone operations without the need for human visual observers, Flying Lion said. Casia G is a small, passive, low-power, weather-hardened device that can be installed anywhere there is a clear view of the sky. This can be a rooftop, street light pole, cellular tower, or other vertical structure. Casia G detects cooperative aircraft using ADS-B and non-cooperative aircraft using Iris’ patented computer vision and artificial intelligence software. Once an aircraft is detected, two concepts of operation are possible:
- Casia G alerts the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC), providing the classification and location of the detected aircraft. The RPIC then initiates an avoidance maneuver and resumes the mission once the detected aircraft is clear of the operational area.
- Casia G sends an automated collision alert to the uncrewed aerial system’s command software, resulting in the system automatically executing a pre-programmed avoidance maneuver.
“Flying Lion is proud to partner with such a forward-thinking organization as Iris Automation, to provide a safer environment to conduct DFR operations,” said Barry Brennon, president and founder of Flying Lion. “The Casia G technology for BVLOS drone flights breaks new ground for public safety – it not only saves time and resources but also allows first responders to better protect the communities they serve.”
The company said multiple Casia G nodes can be deployed to cover any operational area, allowing drones to cover an entire municipality. Program managers can then perform BVLOS operations of multiple drones from multiple launch points, enabling minimum response time.
“Casia G provides an inexpensive and effective way for customers to take advantage of BVLOS flight through increased airspace awareness without the use of visual observers,” said Jon Damush, CEO of Iris Automation. “The new types of DFR programs are a perfect example, and working with Flying Lion and its incredible work across law enforcement to offer these solutions is an important step.”
For more details on Iris Automation, visit its website here. To learn more about Flying Lion’s drone services, visit its website here.
