Iris Automation Partners with Doosan Mobility

Iris Automation announced last week that Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) is now a partner to work on the integration of its Casia detect and avoid (DAA) system with DMI’s family of hydrogen powered systems and drones. The joint solution will enable DMI’s clients to operate safer advanced missions like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and accelerates the Korean manufacturer’s entrance into the US market.

Iris Automation’s Casia allows unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to see and react to the aviation environment around the aircraft. Casia detects other aircraft using computer-vision algorithms to classify them, makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the drone and then triggers an alert to execute maneuvers to safely avoid collisions. This same technology could also be applied to eVTOL aircraft in the future.

With its leading hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology, DMI commercial UAVs are BVLOS-capable and well suited for long endurance flight applications. Drone operations are both eco-friendly and sustainable when powered by hydrogen, as opposed to petroleum.

DMI will provide US customers with the option of Casia integrated with its drones or as a combined purchase with their stand -alone powered systems. The two companies will also collaborate on professional services to advance compliance with emerging US aircraft regulatory requirements.

Lori DeMatteis, vice president of sales & marketing at Iris Automation, stated “This partnership opens a new pathway for enterprise operators to evolve their operations from traditional platforms to sustainable and safety-focused BVLOS UAS systems that deliver real business outcomes today, while protecting their environmental and accident safety reputation.”

Why it’s important: See and avoid technology (also called detect and avoid technology) allows for greater situational awareness in both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and this latest partnership between Iris and Doosan will allow for increased exposure of DAA technologies in operationally sensitive environments, and will add robustness to the system for any future applications to eVTOL designs in the future. What’s more, this technology will also allow more beyond visual line of sight operations of UAV’s, which is the same operational specification for the eventual aerial mobility target of widespread, BVLOS, autonomous operation of eVTOL aircraft.