Connectivity Assurance
Connectivity Assurance is a key aspect of risk management and mission success
Reliable connectivity is critical to operationally viable UAS survey actvities, particularly as missions extend beyond line of sight.
Loss of connectivity means loss of continuity – critical payload data, vehicle command and control, which may result in loss of remotely piloted aircraft and risk to human safety.
Many factors may affective communications continuity; weather, obstacles, distance. In order to have complete assurance, primary connectivity sources must be verified everywhere along the flight path. If the primary system does not cover the entire projected flight plan, contingencies must be introduced, including alternate sources.
DigitalFlight enables dynamic assessment of communication coverage including measurement of signal strength for a given survey flight plan in order to mitigate risk and prevent loss before in-flight operations begin. It also enables integration of secondary communication methods to ensure a connectivity profile that promotes safe, continuous operations.
Workflow Optimization
Flight plan approval is necessary before remote aerial surveys can literally get off the ground
Once started, mission control needs to be closely coordinated in order to maximize flight windows for mission completion.
Complete, accurate flight data is essential to ensure public safety and reduce delay. Collecting data from multiple sources is complex and error prone. One missing data component can result in delays or even cancellation of critical operations.
This is exacerbated by the fact that large scale remote surveys typically require ongoing fleet management. One aircraft system is typically not deployed across the entire survey area. In order to maximize effectiveness, multiple systems for multiple mission segments need to be coordinated.
DigitalFlight coordinates mission critical information, providing one data repository for workflow optimization.
Operations Optimization
Bottom line – autonomous, repeatable surveys yielding high quality verifiable data is the desired outcome of remote surveys
Once achieved, remote operations need to follow similar mission profiles in order to ensure maximum value from predictive or comparative analysis. This begins with the business use case, which in turn determines the types of sensor payloads, data sources, analytics and visualizations.
The best way to ensure this is done is to begin with the goal of automating as much of the operations as possible. Automation begins with a digital profile of the entire mission, which is the intent of DigitalFlight. Once completed, it can be used to facilitate machine learning – a methodology that guarantees high quality results as data volumes increase.
DigitalFlight is not meant to replace human expertise, only to augment it – replacing complex or repetitive tasks with intelligent systems that ensure higher quality, less risk and greater returns to the enterprise.