As we know that nobody wishes to fly a drone in dangerous weather because severe weather increases difficulties to predict correctly especially when there are high altitudes. Collection of data on the ground level is completely different from taking information while flying a drone in problematic weather and that’s the big reason that forty percent of crewed aviation flights become delayed or canceled just because of tough weather.
According to CEO Don Bergdorf, who is a former senior executive service Technology Director of the National Weather Service Science and he is a retired U.S Air Force Colonel, he said that even higher scrub rates will occur for drone flights beyond-visual-line-of-sight without any pilot on board to identity problems and hurdles. As a result drone flights might be rejected or canceled in uncertain weather conditions until or unless the surface and low altitude weather evaluation gap is closed.
Let’s talk about two big companies, very famous for their efforts on the BVLOS and also giving their services to close that gap with a strong partnership with Iris Automation and TruWeather Solution. Iris Automation is San Francisco-based company, working on computer vision technologies to provide an advanced detection system that helps in finding detection and avoiding capabilities in drones for scaling widespread drone deliveries.
After such amazing collaborations, Iris Automation will integrate TruWeather’s micro weather services and its sensors into Casio G Ground-based Surveillance System (GBSS). The main objective of this partnership is to provide complete current weather information to support BVLOS safety practices and procedures.
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Building A Strong Meshed Network By TruWeather and Iris Automation
It’s a very great thing happening about the TruWeather and Iris partnership. They have to build a meshed network that will provide collision avoidance, communication, and micro-weather data to aircraft in various operations. Further, TruWeather’s sensors are incorporated onto Iris Automation’s non-radar based, like you can say its passive ground-based system Casio-G.
About Casio-G — Ground-Based Detect System
Casio-G is known as a ground-based detect and avoid system that leverages artificial intelligence and computer vision technology and provides alerts and handles autonomous or manual collision avoidance. Casio abroad system can detect a small general aviation aircraft at a distance of 1.2 km with a 93.2% detection rate in milliseconds and exceeds the reaction time of human pilots. A human pilot takes about on average 12.5 seconds to overcome collision threats. Iris Automation is working with civil aviation authorities worldwide to support and implement regulatory frameworks and ensure that BVLOS is conducted safely and also performing multiple FAA efforts including ASSURE and Beyond UAS Integration Programs and Transport Canada’s BVLOS Technology Demonstration Programs.
Importance Of Weather Data For Drones
As we have already said, understanding micro-weather data is very difficult and crucial due to low-altitude local atmospheric conditions that differ from higher altitudes. As reported by an FAA-Funded MIT Lincoln Lab study, recently just 3% of the U.S has accurate surface weather and cloud ceiling report measurements. Due to data differing, drone flights become canceled and show a negative impact on drone operations as well as on revenue also.
Last Thoughts Regarding Weather Data
This industry needs more low altitude weather measurements to improve data fidelity and flights. Otherwise, without this, certain conditions of micro weather and wind will give conservative business decisions, we have to face disgruntled customers, very few drone flights, and income losses too.
This year, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Beyond Visual Line Of Sight, Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), also published the final report in which they established a basis for scaling unscrewed flight in the National Airspace.
“This partnership will operate the expansion of BVLOS safety best practices,” said Lori DeMatteis, VP of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success at Iris Automation, “providing clients prompt value to guarantee operational safety, and speedily changing climate information for urgent and preparedness activities, ensuring both public and personnel safety.”
