Maintaining Safe Distance Critical For UAS Integration Into NAS

Reliable Robotics announced a contract with the FAA to conduct data collection flights with its Detect & Avoid (DAA) system around and in airport environments. Use of such systems will be crucial to safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System (NAS).

Reliable is developing a leading DAA system with advanced Air-to-Air Radar (ATAR) and the FAA selected the company based on the Technical Readiness Level of the system.

The contract is intended as a demonstration of its DAA system for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) in controlled and uncontrolled airspace in compliance with FAA standards. These standards stem from Technical Standard Orders the FAA published in 2017 for how DAA systems including ATAR can be certified.

The Reliable system on a UAS is designed to maintain safe clearance from other aircraft by performing Remain Well Clear (RWC) and Collision Avoidance (CA) against cooperative and noncooperative aircraft. During the test flights, the system will be evaluated for its ability to provide alerts and maneuvering guidance for remote pilots during inflight traffic conflicts.

The data collected will be shared with the RTCA Special Committees to inform validation for the next set of standards for advanced DAA systems.

Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO at Reliable Robotics noted, “Compliance to consensus-based technical standards is critical to reducing certification risk and ensuring interoperability.”

Last year, Reliable demonstrated the uncrewed operation of a Cessna 208B Caravan and that aircraft also was part of an FAA Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management Demonstration Project.

FMI:  https://reliable.co/