by Jason Hardy-Smith
Iris Automation has worked closely with Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) around the world to safely integrate unpiloted aircraft into the national airspace, bringing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight closer to commercial reality. 2020 saw greater BVLOS flight-hours generated by customers, and our continued participation in government programs like FAA BEYOND and Transport Canada’s BVLOS Technology Demonstration Program. Operations within these programs ranged from commercial inspection missions over power lines in Alma, Quebec, to search and rescue operations in Reno, Nevada.
Interacting with customers, regulatory agencies and UAS integration program partners gave us significant feedback on our technology. Based on this real-world guidance, we focused our attention and effort on pushing the performance of Casia and making it a more critical component of the air safety equation for unpiloted aircraft operations. The result of our most recent development effort is the release of Casia Software version 2.0, which significantly reduces the chance of mid-air collisions with manned aircraft.
What’s new with Casia Software 2.0:
Accurate Detection
This update significantly increases the detection rate of intruder aircraft and cuts the false positive rate in half. Casia is better at recognizing and categorizing intruder aircraft, even if it is far away.
Solid Reliability
Version 2.0 increases system performance, provides wider testing coverage and features additional internal reliability checks to make sure that the entire Casia system is operating in peak condition.
Informed Pilot in Command
Casia now sends robust system status messages to the ground control station (GCS) to keep the Pilot In Command fully informed. For example, if Casia detects a manned aircraft, or commands the autopilot to make an avoidance maneuver, the system will alert ground control station staff and the pilot in command.
Next steps
Casia Software 2.0 is generally available for supported customers. Contact [email protected] today to upgrade your Casia device to version 2.0.