Pioneering BVLOS Drone Flight Draws Attention

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A first-ever ground-breaking drone flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) combined safety with endurance flight. The drone mission demonstrated the true value of having an effective onboard detection and avoidance system in ensuring safety in drone flight. 

Echodyne, the radar venture that’s funded and backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates has teamed up with drone maker Skyfront and safety avionics company Iris Automation for an innovative BVLOS  flight. 

The drone mission was conducted by a private-public consortium led by the University of Alaska’s UAS Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) team, with special participation from Alyeska Pipeline Service. The drone flight was the first-ever FAA-authorized test flight of a drone using the BVLOS flight.

The drone mission was conducted using a Skyfront Perimeter multirotor drone, equipped with Iris Automation’s Casia onboard collision avoidance system and Echodyne’s ground-based MESA airspace management radar technology. The mission involved a four-mile linear inspection of the Alyeska Trans-Alaska pipeline in Alaska. 

Radars are a critical component of multi-layered safety and security solutions for many industries. Echodyne’s radar products are designed for Perimeter Security, UAS, and Automotive markets.  

Their radar system works with Casia system to direct the drone and ensure safety. The radar uses specially structured electronics and relies on metamaterials technology, which allows the radar to match the performance of much larger and more expensive systems.

Echodyne has already worked on several drone tests involving detect and avoid technologies. The company’s EchoGuard radar system has been selected by NASA’s UAS Traffic Management in its recent urban tests in Nevada and Texas, according to blastingnews.com.