Latest News
We’re bringing the future in sight to the entire UAS industry. Here’s what we’ve been up to lately.
Introducing our newest Iris board member—Scott Smith
We’re thrilled to announce we’ve brought Scott Smith on board as an Independent Director to the company board! Scott brings a remarkable background to the team and company. He began his career at Lockheed, went on to found his own successful aerospace startup,...
read moreThe Journey to Casia: Part One
by Zack Goyetche, Electrical Engineer at Iris Automation The Iris Casia module As an electrical engineer who is obsessed with creating the physical, I delightedly jumped at the opportunity to design and build hardware for Iris Automation when it presented itself one...
read moreSoft Landing: Coming Out On Top
How I came out as trans while a business leader in tech It’s the middle of June, late in the morning when the summer fog starts to burn off and concede to the California sunshine filtering softly through the window. I’m sitting across from Alex, my boss and CEO of the...
read more#HelloCasia
Meet Casia, our Detect and Avoid system for BVLOS operations May 2019 marked one of the hugest accomplishments in Iris Automation’s history to date — launching Casia, the product we’ve been working towards since our inception. Casia is the first commercially available...
read moreIris Automation announces Casia, the first turnkey collision-avoidance solution for the commercial drone industry
Providing the “eyes and brain” for drones, software enables missions beyond visual line of sight SAN FRANCISCO -- Iris Automation, an artificial intelligence and safety avionics company, today announced the launch of Casia – the first commercially available computer...
read moreA Look Inside the Iris Reno Office
By Taylor Westerman In the midtown area of the ‘Biggest Little City’ sits the University of Nevada, Reno’s Innevation Center. Today I’m excited to take you on a tour of our Reno office and perhaps in doing so will have you asking, “where can I sign up?” Four months...
read moreEducational Robotics, Iris, and You
A story about learning through teaching by Katie Widen Setting up my high school team’s robot (right) next to that year’s world champion (left). This game involved placing inner tubes on pegs, 2011. Imagine walking into a basketball stadium or a high school...
read moreDay in the Life of Deputy Head of Flight Ops
Cheryl Contreras gives us a look into a typical day of field testing as the Deputy Head of Flight Operations at Iris Automation Helicopter ride home after a day of testing. I’ve worked at Iris for a year and a half, starting as a Flight Operations Technician and...
read moreMission:Values
By Stephanie Lacy-Price People & Communications Specialist at Iris Automation From the Iris Culturebook, 2019. Finalizing our company values and building them into our culture is the work I’m most proud to have taken on during my time at Iris and has formed the...
read moreFlight Simulator: Episode 1
By Eric SchaferSimulation Architect at Iris Automation Like human pilots, artificial intelligence autopilots practice not crashing in a simulator. Having transitioned from many years of movie visual effects (crashing encouraged) at Industrial Light & Magic to...
read moreDiversity and Inclusion at Iris Automation: Q & A with the founders
CEO Alex Harmsen and CTO James Howard open up about D&I Iris team retreat, September 2018 What does diversity and inclusion mean to you? Alex: To me, the single largest contribution from diversity is creative thought. Very simply, without diversity in...
read moreIris Automation, Kansas DOT begin test flights for the Drone Integration Pilot Program
SALINA - The Kansas Department of Transportation is starting the testing phase of the Integration Pilot Program this week. Flights by Iris Automation will focus on enabling new detect and avoid capabilities for drones. Iris Automation will be testing its collision...
read moreIris Automation Selected for Half of Transport Canada’s BVLOS Proof of Concept Trials
Iris Automation, a global leader in collision avoidance technology for drones, will enable the new era of Canadian commercial drone operations through Transport Canada’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight Proof of Concept trials, putting new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)...
read moreIris Automation Selects Robotic Skies for Aftermarket Installation and Maintenance Services
San Francisco – May 22nd, 2018: Iris Automation (www.irisonboard.com), the leading provider of collision avoidance systems for commercial drones, today announced that it has selected Robotic Skies Inc. (www.roboticskies.com) as an aftermarket installation and field...
read moreIris Automation Selected for White House Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program
Washington, D.C. - May 9th, 2018: Iris Automation, the leading developer of collision avoidance technology for drones, will join the next era of American commercial drone operations through the White House Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. On...
read moreIris Automation wins AUVSI’s Startup of the Year
[UPDATED: May 3rd, 2018] This month Iris was named Startup of the Year after competing as one of 5 finalists in the Startup Showdown at AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL conference in Denver, Colorado. Each startup had 6 minutes to pitch their business to a panel of judges. Iris was...
read moreIris Automation Closes $8M Series A led by Bessemer Ventures to Bring AI Technology to Autonomous Flying Vehicles
San Francisco - January 18th, 2018: Iris Automation, the leading provider of collision avoidance for commercial drones, today announced an $8 million Series A financing round to fund the development of crucial unlocking technologies for the autonomous flying robotics...
read moreHead of Iris R&D Recognized as MIT Innovator Under 35
Iris Automation would like to congratulate our own Dr. Alejando Galindo, Head of Research and Development, for being named one of the MIT Technology Review's 2017 Innovators Under 35! Reproduced from the MIT Technology Review. Drones are on fashion. A few years ago,...
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