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\nGetting beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) approval for your drone system isn\u2019t easy \u2013 it can take years.\u00a0 Just ask the folks at Sphere Drones, who just received a preliminary BVLOS approval from Australian civil aviation authorities to allow for the first sustained field testing of their unique solar-powered drone-in-a-box system known as \u201cHubX.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s BVLOS approval sets the stage for the development and deployment of HubX for an extended duration.\u00a0 Sphere Drones can establish a permanent demonstration site and conduct comprehensive testing, showcasing the company\u2019s technology and operational expertise, and eventually deploying for autonomous aerial inspections.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a big step to obtain your first BVLOS approval which includes extensive processes and procedures to prove safety and sufficiency in your technology solutions and redundancies,\u201d Elliot Cummins, the company\u2019s chief remote pilot says.<\/p>\n
With a BVLOS waiver, Sphere Drones can conduct operations with HubX without the need for spotters or trained on-site observers. The drone system is a self-sustaining, rugged mobile drone platform with its own internet connection and solar battery system.\u00a0 It can function in any terrain under diverse weather conditions, even in extremely remote areas.<\/p>\n
Somewhat paradoxically, the new BVLOS waiver will not allow Sphere Drones to conduct HubX operations from a remotely piloted command center, which would allow for even greater mobility and flexibility.\u00a0 However, the company is in the process of securing a separate BVLOS waiver to authorize operations from its newly created command center.<\/p>\n
Sphere Drones CEO Paris Cockinos says: \u201cWe\u2019re proud of the dedication and effort the team has invested in regulatory and licensing work over the past few years, as well as their success in developing HubX to a stage where it met the requirements to gain approval. It\u2019s truly a testament to our team\u2019s focus and hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
HubX is Sphere Drones\u2019 first major foray into drone technology development.\u00a0 The company is already well-known for its drone service support and sales experience, with companies like DJI and Boston Dynamics among its top clients.\u00a0 The company has also partnered with Switzerland-based Flyability, producer of the state-of-the-art Elios 3 drone, which is widely used in indoor infrastructure inspections, including nuclear waste storage facilities.<\/p>\n
In all likelihood, the HubX, once fully developed, will join Flyability\u2019s arsenal for inspections in Australia, which is a global leader in mining operations.\u00a0 Sphere Drones\u2019 initial demonstration site is in New South Wales, a state rich in gold, copper and cobalt and one of the country\u2019s three main mining sites.\u00a0 In addition, there are major public and private infrastructure sites throughout the state in need of aerial inspections that can detect possible service breakdowns while reducing operational costs and improving energy efficiency.<\/p>\n
\u201cAustralia has some of the largest mining, oil and gas and maritime operations in the world and with the Flyability Elios, we have a genuine, cost-effective solution for applications that have been historically time consuming, expensive and \u2018at risk\u2019 for personnel,\u201d Cockinos noted last year.<\/p>\n
HubX received its first trial four months ago at the Yancoal Corporation\u2019s remote coal mine at Mount Thorley. The trial demonstrated that HubX can improve the frequency and quality of aerial surveillance and reduce the exposure of field inspectors to potentially dangerous environments.\u00a0 With additional BVLOS approvals, Sphere Drones hopes to expand its field testing to other remote sites with additional companies based in New South Wales.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Getting beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) approval for your drone system isn\u2019t easy \u2013 it can take years.\u00a0 Just ask the folks at Sphere Drones, who just received a preliminary BVLOS approval from Australian civil aviation authorities to allow for the first sustained field testing of their unique solar-powered drone-in-a-box system known as… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7344"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dronevideos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}