Introduction

Alongside the dynamic and rapidly evolving technology of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, are numerous potential applications. An effect of this evolution of technological capability is the adoption of more refined payload technologies. Beyond typical RGB Cameras, the UAS industry is experiencing the incorporation and integration of far more advanced technologies like Multi-Spectral, LiDAR, Infra-Red, Thermal, etc. This translates to greater diversity, utility capabilities, and adoption of these aircraft within developing verticals.

UAS Tech in Public Safety Overview

One of the prominent verticals that receives immediate benefits of the advantages of UAS is Public Safety. With the adoption of UAS technologies, first responders can immediately expand, complement, and enhance their capabilities.

Thermal

Up front, the immediate obvious use of UAS in public safety is their imaging capabilities. Something as simple as having a camera providing situational awareness can be of immense value in responding to calls. With the reduction in the cost and size of thermal cameras, this benefit is doubled – providing access to additional information.

What Is Thermal and Why Does it Matter for Public Safety?

Thermal imagers measure the emissivity of an object. Emissivity is the measurement of how much heat is radiating from an object. Almost everything on Earth is emissive, and the difference between the temperature of objects is where thermal imaging shines. From a public safety standpoint, this translates to locating lost persons in low light conditions and finding hot spots in firefighting.

What are some issues that resellers face when sourcing and selling drones?

With the advent of the availability, affordability, and ease of use of small, unmanned aircraft systems, a new market is coming into fruition. Most people have heard of drones in one way or another, often from the perspective of a small drone with a camera attached to it for use in photography. What happened in the drone space was that these new, cheaper, more affordable aircraft were being purchased and used in more and more places. Eventually, these, often Chinese, products ended up being used in data-sensitive applications. For example, military, government, security, etc. This gave rise to new cybersecurity concerns, which in turn created a new demand for an evolved product.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a high-level, set of federal laws passed every year targeting these growing cybersecurity concerns. In order for a product to be NDAA compliant, it must not be produced by a set list of Chinese manufacturers. Additionally, this extends beyond drones into chipsets, cameras, displays, and other technology.

In the drone solutions space, there now exists two new certifications: Blue and Green UAS.

A Blue UAS must meet strict hardware and operating requirements to satisfy cybersecurity demands. Some examples include video transmission encryption, aircraft operating chipset, and internet connection. Blue UAS are specifically designed to meet the cybersecurity requirements for DOD and DOI applications. An example of a Blue UAS Exertis Almo carries is the IF1200 from Inspired Flight.

A Green UAS is a subset of cybersecurity certification offered by AUVSI. Green UAS is designed to encompass drones that may not necessarily be manufactured in the US, but rather in allied countries. The Green UAS certification follows closely behind the DIU Blue UAS certification 2.0 program. Meaning, the Green UAS certified aircraft are essentially the same as Blue minus their country of origin.

With the rapid advancement, availability, and affordability of drones, the industry is evolving quickly. For applications with high levels of cybersecurity demands, often seen in government and military projects, the drone space now has a clear and emerging industry certification. What started off as NDAA, has now grown out into Blue and Green UAS.

If you’d like to know more about the drone solutions available from Exertis Almo, contact our experts today.