Iris Automation launches first onboard DAA system with 360-degree radial field of view for UAS

April 6, 2020 | AUVSI News

Iris Automation has launched Casia 360, the first onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) system with a 360-degree radial field of view to enable commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for UAS.

When equipped with Casia 360, a UAS can see and react to the aviation environment around the aircraft, as the DAA system detects other aircraft in all directions. Using computer-vision algorithms, Casia 360 classifies the aircraft and makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the UAS, before triggering an alert to the pilot in command and automating maneuvers to safely avoid collisions. 

“Casia 360 allows a drone to have a complete sense of its surroundings so it can avoid potential collisions from any direction,” explains Iris Automation CEO Alexander Harmsen.

“We developed this technology based on feedback from our customers and regulatory bodies around the world. It enables drones to be used for an even greater range of long-distance use cases and saves money, increases safety and unlocks applications across multiple industries: railway, energy sector, utility powerline inspections, package delivery, and life-saving search and rescue operations.”

A combination of both hardware and software that is lightweight, low power and small in size, Casia is a low SWaP system made up of two onboard controllers and five long-range optical cameras that provide a 360-degree field of view. The software is packaged in a self-contained embedded supercomputer that works with the machine vision cameras onboard.

The Casia technology has been tested through real-world test flights and mid-air collision scenarios flying a number of different manned aircraft against UAS in more than 12,000 real-world encounters and more than 50,000 encounters in simulation. Currently being flown by dozens of customers across 12 countries, Casia holds BVLOS regulators in the U.S., South Africa, and Canada.