Tandem NSI
Michael Hoffman
February 2, 2016
The U.S. Air Force issued a Request For Information for technologies that would allow their remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or drones, to sense threats and have the ability to navigate away from that threat. These threats could be vary from a bird to a passenger jet.
Human operators of drones can’t see every threat, especially if they are flying that RPA over Afghanistan from a cockpit outside Las Vegas. It’s the leading argument Air Force leaders make when asked why all their pilot should remain grounded.
However, the demand for more drones continues to expand as do the expectations for improved performance in complex scenarios. Those scenarios include running into other drones or continue to fly safely even if the RPA loses its link with the human pilot.
As the RFI states, U.S. aviation rules mandate that drones have Sense-and-Avoid systems to avoid collisions in congested airspaces. The service doesn’t want researches to tell them how they would invent the system, the want to hear how they can be improved.
Last year, the Air Force experienced the most RPA crashes in its history. The majority were not caused by collisions, but more did occur because the drones lost its connection. The need for a Sense-and-Avoid system is real.
Swarming technology is advancing quickly. Defense Secretary Ash Carter listed it as one of his top priorities for new technologies in the military. Sense-and-Avoid technology could prove vital to advancements in swarm drones to avoid rapid collisions.
The Air Force wants to hear from innovators in this RFI, which is due Feb. 15. If you do not respond it does not keep you businesses from responding to an RFP, but it is a great opportunity to get on their radars for the future program.
The link to the RFI can be found here.
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