Makes Headway on Long-Range Backup Data Feed for Public Safety Drones

uAvionix has finished the first phase of development on their new SkyLink Control & Non-Payload Communications for drone operation on safety-critical, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions.

The completion flights were done at a range up to 25 miles at the Northern Plains UAS Test site in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 

The command & control systems will utilize C-band comms in a departure from the majority of commercial unmanned systems, utilizing ISM or 4G networks when needed to address a lost C2 link. The BVLOS waivers granted by the FCC are the first step towards robust, capable public safety drones, allowing long-range control with multiple fail safe modes that could leverage the presence of various networks for backup. In its current form, the "Skylink CNPC radios and the paired SkyLine application are entirely focused on preventing lost links through aviation-grade software and hardware design". The system also contains network management systems to monitor network and radio link health so administrators can gauge the patency of their uplink moment to moment. 

“A reliable and predictable C2 link built to aviation standards (e.g., RTCA DO-362A) is a critical component in obtaining scalable BVLOS operations,” said Jim Cieplak, Program Manager of Vantis. “The uAvionix SkyLink radios and SkyLine Command & Control infrastructure are an essential component of the Vantis deployment to obtain a path to commercially viable BVLOS operations in the State of North Dakota.”

“Together with our partners at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, VANTIS, Thales, the FAA, and MITRE, we completed this significant milestone which will propel commercial UAS operations”, said Christian Ramsey, President of uAvionix. “We maintained a stable connection at a range of well over 25 miles at a 400’ operating altitude with a DO-362A compliant radio system, a first of its kind.”

FMI: www.uavionix.com