APS, the developer of the Ctrl+Sky system has been invited to participate in tests under Emergency Operations Airspace Management System (EOAMS), a project of the Government of Canada. It aims at the development of a system for supporting the safety of Unmanned Aerial System flight in Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations.
Canadian field tests have been performed within the so-called U-space concept. Its execution will cost millions of dollars and it will also be developed in the EU, among other places
The governments of the richest countries of the world agree that drones are no longer toys or a technological curiosity. UAVs are a revolution development in the logistics industry which poses a lot of challenges. These include integration of flying objects not only with other drones, but with the air transport.
The U-space concept presented by the European Commission in mid-2017 is the answer to that issue: it provides a management plan for drone movement at low altitudes, up to 150 m above ground. U-space is a comprehensive solution which combines three areas of drone control: electronic registration, identification and geofencing – electronically limited drone movement in specific areas.
The development of the U-space concept is also a business opportunity for Advanced Protection System company (APS) and their flagship product Ctrl+Sky, a drone movement detection and management system.
APS is in the process of commercialisation of their solutions, also in the scope of regulation of the low-altitude drone movement.
“We have been invited by Kongsberg Geospatial, a North American leader in situational awareness and geospatial visualisation. We have tested our equipment in Canada with regard to its application in the U-space structure. The tests have been very successful and we are hoping they will result in a longstanding business relationship.”
says Dr. Radosław Piesiewicz, the CEO and one of the co-founders of APS.
The Canadian tests were the biggest research performed in the world on radar efficiency assessment in real time. Only ten selected companies from around the globe were invited to participate. The capabilities of the system and its operation in the field were closely watched by representatives of the most important military services in the country, such as Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Correctional Services Canada. It is widely known that the launch of a complete U-space system in Canada alone will costs billions of dollars.
At the same time, the Americans and the Swiss are trying out similar solutions. The first works on an initial U-space structure have started in Poland as well.
Visitors from the American National Security Agency also took part in the tests in Canada. The Americans are at the start of their own path of setting up safety regulations for drones, where NASA is the leader of the project. This means that the project is of high priority.
In Poland the U-space concept is implemented under the project “Żwirko i Wigura”, carried out by the Polish Development Fund (PFR).
“We will learn about its objectives soon. We want APS to be one of the major players of the project.”
says Dr.Maciej Klemm, the other co-founder of APS.
Source: Press Release