(News and commentary.) Drone connectivity expert Elsight flies beyond line of sight (BVLOS) and explains how drones and mobile networks can now make BVLOS feasible and secure.
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BVLOS flight is very important to the drone industry. In the United States, advocates have petitioned the FAA to respond quickly to the recommendations of the Aviation Regulations Commission (ARC), so providers providing supply chain and delivery services, security operations, long-distance surveys, and mappings , Ready to fly as long as regulations allow.
Elsight manufactures Halo, an AI-powered drone connectivity platform with a small form factor. Halo is designed to solve a reliable and predictable connection between aircraft and command and control, which is a key requirement for BVLOS drone operation. In a new paper, Elsight presents a new concept for BVLOS flights and explains how drones and mobile networks are the way to do it. Without years of development and heavy expense.
BVLOS Flight New Concept: Drone Network Operations Center
Flying a BVLOS is generally understood as flying a drone away from the operator’s view. This may mean delivering the product 3 or 4 miles away, or it may mean operating the drone on the other side of a skyscraper or fence that is out of the pilot’s view. ..
This is the only understanding of BVLOS flight. “The truth is that BVLOS is more than that,” says Elsight. Elsight’s global clients understand BVLOS flight truly in the context of remote operations. One pilot manages the launch, flight and landing of multiple drones a few miles away from the Centralized Drone Network Operations Center (DNOC). With one operator and multiple aircraft, the value proposition of drone technology is amplified.
BVLOS operations combined with the use of DNOC (Drone Network Operations Center) exponentially increase the possible UAS applications with distance. Farmers will be able to use many UASs at once to cover tens or hundreds of acres of vineyards. Utilities can use UAS simultaneously to inspect cables and pipes worth miles, and retailers and fulfillment centers can deliver more efficient midmiles or last miles. These are just a few of the use cases that will be available in the drone market when operators can take full advantage of flying drones beyond their visual line of sight.
Drones and mobile networks
For secure remote control, the aircraft must remain securely connected to the DNOC. This is a challenge, but Elsight claims that the solution is at hand. You don’t have to spend years developing new things. Mobile networks are cheap, readily available, and effective. Especially, the development of 5G is continuing.
The proliferation of mobile phones and other mobile devices, as well as the proliferation of carriers striving to expand coverage over the widest possible range, has created a coincidence that drone operators can benefit from a wide range of telecommunications networks. They are now available without the need to find new spectra and deploy new networks. This will take years and will require a new communication paradigm to be created.
Unlicensed RF and Satellite provide alternatives, but both of these solutions require a receiver that adds weight to the aircraft. Mobile networks do not require a large investment to be used and are already deployed globally according to common technical standards in most areas.
Benefits of 5G
As 5G rolls continue, using mobile networks for drone communications will become even more practical and effective, Elsight said. 5G further improves reliability, security, and reception compared to 4G, reduces the risk of disconnection, and ensures a smooth data stream. Network slicing may provide UAS with a dedicated slice of 5G network.
BVLOS flights, and the operation of multiple flights from DNOC, are innovative technologies. Drones operating BVLOS can act as a power multiplier in a huge number of industries, helping to solve critical food production, supply chain, and environmental protection issues. Both the aircraft and the technologies that support it already exist to make BVLOS flight safe and feasible.
Read more about Elsight:
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE, Chief Executive Officer of JobForDrones, a professional drone services market, and a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. She has written over 3,000 articles focusing on commercial drone spaces, is an international speaker and an industry-recognized figure. She has a degree in Miriam from the University of Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience in high-tech sales and marketing of new technologies.
For consulting or writing in the drone industry, send an email to Miriam.
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