Airobotics receives first CASA approval for BVLOS drone flights in Australia from remote ops centre
Airobotics has made Australian aviation history. The automated drone startup has obtained the nation’s first and only Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval to operate automated multi-rotor drones from its Remote Operations Center (ROC). It can now operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) with no aircrew needed at the client site.
Alternatively, Remote Pilots are located within Airobotics Australia’s ROC, at a designated Remote Pilot Station (RPS), operating more than 1,000 km away from onsite systems at the customer sites. This new “man on the loop” level of operations enables human operators to supervise flights, but without requiring “man in the loop” pilots to intervene in flight operations.
Niv Russo, Airobotics’ Vice President of Aviation and Compliance commented: “This landmark approval is a major achievement for Airobotics and its future growth across Australia. Removing aircrews from potentially dangerous environments, like mines, enables customers to extract maximum value and reduce risk from their business operations by leveraging technology and automation. This progression marks the next step for Airobotics as we continue to break new ground in unmanned drone technology to deliver safer and more accurate, data-driven solutions.”
“The ROC approval sets a new benchmark for unmanned drone operations for the Asia-Pacific region, and given the technical complexity that has been overcome, is a real testament to our in-country capability,” said Joe Urli, Airobotics’ Director of Flight Operations and Chief Remote Pilot. “Airobotics’ unmanned drone platform significantly benefits our clients, providing them with operations that increase efficiency whilst saving operational costs and empowering flight crews to operate in secure locations hundreds of miles away from hazardous sites.”
Airobotics provide the only automated drone solution worldwide permitted to fly without a human operator with certification from Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, and from the US Federal Aviation Administration granted over the past two years.
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From pit to port: Automated drones in mining
Major mining companies are investing significant resources in finding technological solutions to increase efficiency, improve safety and streamline operations. Drones are becoming an integral tool in this transformation, replacing manual inspections in the most hazardous areas and collecting critical information, while drastically reducing the time and manpower required.
Airobotics' on-demand solution provides a direct connection to aerial data and new levels of insight. This autonomous drone offers immediate access to the required data. All without loading and transporting the drone, having to wait for the survey, or being dependent on a service provider.
Airobotics drone solution provides critical information in the following areas:
- Stockpile volumes and end-of-month reconciliation
- Terrain mapping and change detection
- Asset management and scheduling
- Situational awareness and emergency response
- Infrastructure and equipment inspection
- Security and surveillance
