Scaling BVLOS Operations through Robust Connectivity & Autonomy Infrastructure
BVLOS drone operations hold immense potential to transform the way we live and work, offering innovative solutions across a wide range of industries, including logistics, agriculture, and inspection. These advanced operations have the capacity to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and expand the reach of various services.
As the industry transitions toward automated BVLOS operations, one of the most important considerations that goes without saying is safety. Having a reliable and always-on communication solution that provides robust performance, flexible data transmission is going to be a must-have for safer operations. Consider flying a drone remotely with no or delayed knowledge of where the drone actually is!
At a NestGen ‘23 session, we had a conversation with Yoav Amitai, CEO of?Elsight, a connectivity platform dedicated to delivering extremely reliable, high bandwidth, real-time connectivity even in the most challenging and remote areas. Yoav discusses the current challenges as well as the connectivity solutions that would be required to make BVLOS operations a reality.
What exactly is BVLOS? How is it different from VLOS or EVLOS?
Before delving into the connectivity solutions, let’s look at the differences among VLOS, EVLOS, and BVLOS operations. According to the definition:
However, as Yoav mentions, "Determining the precise distance at which an operation is considered VLOS, EVLOS, or BVLOS is unrealistic because it is dependent on a variety of factors such as the size of the drone, the terrain or landscape, weather conditions, and regulations." Even if the drone is within range, any obstacles or interference between the operator and the drone can make the operation to be BVLOS. Furthermore, if a single operator controls multiple drones, even if they are within VLOS range, regulatory authorities may still consider the operation BVLOS due to the increased complexity of the operation, which necessarily involves additional safety measures and certifications.”
Challenges in BVLOS Drone Operations
Now that the definitions are clear, Yoav delves into three main technological challenges associated with BVLOS drone operations are:
In this blog post we’ll delve into two of the key challenges and?recommend solutions for solving connectivity issues & enabling autonomous operations.
Maintaining Reliable Connection between the Drone and Ground Station
It has been established that reliable communication and data transmission are critical for managing airspace, maintaining autonomy, and overcoming technological challenges, particularly when the drone is outside the direct radio frequency communication range with the PIC.?So what are the connectivity options? Let’s explore:
Standard Point-To-point Proprietary RF
A common wireless communication method that establishes a direct, closed network between the operator and the drone, allowing for real-time communication and control. These systems, however, have several limitations, particularly in BVLOS operations:
Satcom
Satellite communication is another option for wireless communication in drone operations. Though they provide good coverage, but has a bunch of limitations:
领英推荐
Cellular/Mobile:
Working over public cellular infrastructure, primarily LTE and 5G/4G, is the most cost-effective and productive wireless communication option for BVLOS operations. The following are some of the benefits of using this method:
Yoav also highlights the challenges of working with public?cellular infrastructure with graphs from Ericsson and Qualcomm.?"The challenge we face with cellular infrastructure is that it is optimized for terrestrial communication and not designed to work efficiently at high altitudes," he says. The antennas are designed for the average handset on the ground, where the majority of subscribers are located and where operators have licenses to use specific frequencies. When working with drones, communication takes place on the antenna's side lobes, and being directly above the cell tower can result in zero communication, making reliable communication a significant challenge."
Yoav also shares another interesting analysis presented by Verizon and the FAA called the airborne LTE operation (ALO), which found that the cellular internet network is capable of sufficiently supporting unmanned aerial systems' control and non-payload communication below 500 feet. While this shows that the infrastructure can work at those heights, there are still blind spots where there is no network available.
How Elsight Halo solve connectivity Challenges
To combat the challenges of public cellular networks, Yoav suggests a multi network approach, which is exactly what Elsight’s product -?Halo?offers. By aggregating all available IP links (4X cellular or RF X SIMs solution with link failover) to a one bonded link, Elsight's system optimizes communication channels for drones, ensuring that data and commands can be transmitted and received in real-time with high reliability. This enables statistically better coverage with more reliable communication, which Yoav calls as a "connection confidence."
This approach overcomes the challenges of a single connectivity infrastructure by providing increased redundancy and a more reliable connection for drones, even in areas where coverage may be limited or obstructed.?
As the first AI-powered connectivity solution, Halo boasts a small form factor, lightweight design, and power consumption that is less than half that of an average kitchen light bulb. This innovative solution saves on Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) while providing onboard communication capabilities.
Need for autonomy to scale BVLOS operations
As Yoav mentioned, the third challenge would be autonomous operations. As the drone company continues to expand, so will the demand for cost-effective and efficient solutions that can operate at scale.
Autonomy contributes significantly to this by lowering labor costs and increasing productivity, making drone operations more economically viable. Furthermore, removing the human factor from the loop improves BVLOS safety and reliability significantly. Unlike humans, software can operate drones with precision and consistency, without being hindered by fatigue or human error.
How FlytNow automates your drone operations
As an enterprise cloud-based software solution, FlytNow enables operators to conduct drone operations remotely & autonomously from anywhere in the world without having the need to be present on site. Connectivity solutions such as Elsight Halo, let operators unlock the full potential of the software solution:
The diagram below shows how FlytNow and Halo work in conjunction.
To conclude, embracing the future of?BVLOS drone operations?requires a steadfast commitment to developing and implementing robust connectivity and autonomous software solutions. This enables businesses to unlock the full potential of this groundbreaking technology, driving innovation and growth across industries and ultimately shaping a safer, more efficient world.