Kongsberg tests SAR UAV technology

Kongsberg Geospatial and the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service have concluded the field trials of a new software application that improves the safety of operating a search and rescue (SAR) UAV beyond visual line-of-sight, the company announced in late March.

The Country of Renfrew Paramedic Service uses a commercial UAV for paramedic first response, but a major limitation for UAV operators is that commercial UAVs cannot be operated beyond line-of-sight.

Kongsberg Geospatial delivers display technology for military UAV platforms and has been working Canadian and US regulatory and industry groups for a portable unified display to civil UAV operators to operate beyond line-of-sight.

The display technology integrates and presents data about the UAV and other aircraft, obstacles, terrain and airspace through a single tablet. For this test, the team was restricted from operating beyond line-of-sight but could simulate the conditions using a second observer to shadow the pilot operations.

During the trial, repeated exercises were performed in which the software was used to navigate the UAV and to help direct searchers to the 'casualties' in a heavily forested nature reserve near Cobden, Ontaria.

Allison Malloy, program manager, IRIS UAV platform, Kongsberg Geospatial, said: ‘We’re pleased at the outcome of these trials, and we’re confident in our technology, but we still have additional research and development to do before this platform can be applied commercially, and there’s still a lot of regulatory work to do to get the necessary approvals.

‘We’re actively engaged with Transport Canada, the FAA, and other regulatory and industry working groups, and we’re hopeful that the necessary regulatory framework to allow licensed drone pilots to work beyond line-of-sight will be put in place in the near future.’