Airborne Detect And Avoid Sensor Poised To Accelerate BVLOS Flight

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has certified the EchoFlight radar developed by Echodyne, a manufacturer of innovative, high-performance radars for securing critical infrastructure and guiding autonomous machines. Previously available only for experimental purposes, the airborne detect and avoid radar is designed for integration into a wide-variety of UAS platforms and provides unprecedented combination of C-SWaP, range, and accuracy. For organizations seeking authorization to operate beyond visual line of sight or autonomously, EchoFlight radar is a significant step forward for UAS mission safety.

Echodyne is excited to receive authorization from the FCC and to make EchoFlight available to the many interested UAS partners in the US,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. “Our compact, solid-state, lightweight yet powerful radar offers the ability to scan large volumes of airspace and track other aircraft with sufficient range to maintain safety.”

“Gartner estimates nearly 3 million drones were purchased by consumers and enterprises just last year. We continue to work with NASA and FAA to demonstrate how our airborne radar enables UAS to operate safely among planes, helicopters, and other drones. We believe our EchoFlight radar is one of the key technologies that will enable commercial UAS to conduct missions safely,” adds Frankenberg.

Features of EchoFlight’s high performance radar include:

• Precision beam-steering radar that minimizes collision risk by tracking aircraft locations at all times across a broad field-of-view, even in dense airspace or over cluttered environments;
• Best-in-class, search while track radar that scans just like a phased array but at commercial pricing;
• Compact design with low weight and low power for integration into a wide-variety of UAS platforms; and,
• Long-range, all-weather detection and tracking for Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) missions.

(Source: Echodyne news release)

FMI: echodyne.com