Making Detect and Avoid a Reality for Uncrewed Aviation Systems (UAS)

As innovation in uncrewed flights continues to expand, the issue of safety remains paramount. Without the benefit of a pilot, drones and uncrewed vehicles need to be able to operate safely without fear of collision both in the skies and on the ground. With the advent of 5G, this necessity can become a reality.

Moderated by Stefano Faccin, this panel on Detect and Avoid (DAA) is comprised of Cheryl Contreras, Lee Nguyen, and Rick Niles. Their collective expertise on the ground and in the skies bears the fruit of a fascinating conversation on the future of the critical advancement.

Stefano introduced the overall framework of DAA in the scope of leveraging 5G systems, highlighting why DAA is an essential component of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight when using 5G networks. With her experience as a director of flight operations, Cheryl speaks to testing vision-based detect and alert systems, both ground-based and on board, bringing up the importance of the role Command & Control (C2) plays in integrating 5G technology. As a pilot himself, Rick’s unique experience with prioritizing manned vehicles leads to an interesting discussion on how long that priority will continue. Particularly relevant to his work at NUAIR, Lee mentions the three most important elements of how DAA and C2 complement each other: surveilability, latency, and reliability.

Overall, this is not a discussion to miss – DAA is an essential component of innovation in UAS over 5G, and the expertise shared here is both revelatory and hopeful.

Moderator: Stefano Faccin, Director, Technical Standards

Panelists: Cheryl Contreras, Director of Flight Operations, Iris Automation; Lee Nguyen, Independent Contractor, NUAIR; and Rick Niles, Chief Engineer, MITRE.