A team of researchers from the Queensland University of Technology, Boeing Research & Technology – Australia, and Insitu Pacific have developed what they believe to be a world-first on-board system for an unmanned aircraft to detect another aircraft using vision while in flight.
During flight trials north-west of Brisbane at Watts Bridge and using an Insitu ScanEagle UAS, the on-board system provided real-time warnings back to a ground control station, resulting in a successful manual collision avoidance manoeuvre. The development is described by the team as “a critical point for allowing (unmanned aircraft) to fly in commercial airspace.”
A joint release states that “Project ResQu aims to fast-track the development of smart technologies that will enable unmanned aircraft to fly safely in the civil airspace and ultimately enable UA to provide public services such as assistance in disaster management and recovery, as well as in environmental, biosecurity and resource management.”
