Considerations for Drone In A Box Operations

Considerations for Drone in a Box Operations – A “drone in the box” is an innovative drone solution designed for autonomous operations. This system includes a drone that automatically departs from and returns to a secure box, which serves as its charging station and shelter. Ideal for repetitive and scheduled tasks, these drones are perfect for surveillance, inspection, and monitoring tasks across various industries including agriculture, security, and infrastructure. The box protects the drone from environmental elements, ensuring it is ready for flight at any time. With advanced automation features, the system requires minimal human intervention, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for continuous aerial monitoring. Key benefits include increased operational efficiency, reduced downtime, and enhanced safety for challenging or inaccessible areas.

Drone in the Box

There are multiple Drone in the Boxes on the market with the most recent one being the DJI Dock 2.

The DJI Dock 2 is poised to make a significant impact in the drone industry with its cutting-edge features and broader operational scope. It introduces the M3D and M3TD drones, designed for enhanced coverage and efficiency, setting a new standard in drone technology. The dock boasts an impressive operational radius of 6.2 miles and supports the advanced DJI Flight Hub 2 platform while enabling third-party integration. Key features of the M3D drone include a high-quality 20MP camera with a mechanical shutter, whereas the M3TD drone offers a versatile imaging solution combining a 48MP wide camera, a 12MP telecamera, and a thermal camera. With a maximum flight time of 50 minutes, these drones ensure prolonged operations. As the launch nears, the anticipation for the DJI Dock 2’s introduction to the market grows, highlighting its potential to revolutionise the way drones are used in various applications.

Considerations for Drone in a Box Operations – Use Cases for Drone in a Box Technology

Considerations for Drone in a Box Operations – Drone in a box technology has a wide array of use cases across different industries, leveraging its automation and self-sufficiency for various applications. Here are some prominent ones:

• Infrastructure Inspection and Maintenance: Automates the monitoring of critical infrastructure, such as bridges, pipelines, and power lines, identifying issues early and reducing the need for manual inspections.
• Agriculture: Facilitates precision agriculture practices by monitoring crop health, irrigation needs, and pest infestations, enabling farmers to make informed decisions and improve yield.
• Security and Surveillance: Provides continuous aerial monitoring of perimeters and properties for security purposes, enhancing safety and response to incidents.
• Environmental Monitoring: Assists in the observation and analysis of environmental conditions, including wildlife tracking, forest management, and pollution detection, contributing to conservation efforts.
• Emergency Response and Disaster Relief: Offers rapid deployment in emergency situations to assess damage, locate survivors, and guide response teams, significantly improving disaster relief efforts.
• Construction and Real Estate: Supports construction site monitoring, progress tracking, and asset management, as well as offering aerial views for real estate marketing.
• Mining: Enables safer and more efficient monitoring of mining operations, including stockpile management, equipment tracking, and compliance with environmental regulations.
• Research and Development: Supports scientific research in hard-to-reach areas, including glacial monitoring, oceanographic studies, and archaeological surveys.

Drone in a box technology, with its automated deployment and recovery capabilities, is revolutionizing these and other fields by providing efficient, cost-effective, and safer alternatives to traditional methods.

Regulatory Considerations for Flights in Australia

Whether your end goal is full autonomy with drones completing missions and transmitting data without human intervention or having one Remote Pilot fly multiple drones across Australia, there are stepping stones to achieve these goals.

To achieve the full potential of Drone in a Box operations outside standard operating procedures will be required. In Australia, your organisation will require a Remote Operator Certificate (ReOC). More information on obtaining a ReOC can be found on the CASA Website. Once a ReOC is obtained, the organisation can apply for additional permissions to assist with their Drone in Box integration.

Some Approvals/Permissions that are suitable include:

Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) Class 2 Remote Operations:

EVLOS Class 2 is an approval/instrument that allows a Remote Pilot to fly beyond their visual line of sight using a visual observer to report back to the remote pilot any people/air traffic in the flight area. The RPAS/Drone can be a maximum of 1500 meters from the Visual Observer, and multiple visual observers can be utilized for flights beyond 1500 meters. Approvals issued by CASA for EVLOS are Australia-wide. When applying for the approval, if you would like to fly from a different location from the drone and the visual observer (often referred to as remote operations or teleoperations), you will need to state that in your application and ensure that the systems and procedures are robust and take into account your communication methods to the visual observer and how the Remote Pilot will command and control the drone/RPAS from remote locations.

EVLOS Class 2 approvals take approximately 6 weeks to 10 weeks through CASA to obtain and will require a flight test with a CASA inspector for them to evaluate the procedures that have been placed. EVLOS Class 2 remote operations are often utilized for demonstrations/trials, training, or as a fill-in while a BVLOS application is being processed.

Beyond Visual Line of Sight:

A BVLOS area approval/instrument is when the flight is beyond what the Remote Pilot can see, and they are using additional systems and procedures instead of a visual observer to assist in managing the risk to other air users and people on the ground. A submission for a BVLOS area approval usually takes between 3 and 6 months depending on the complexity. An application submission will vary depending on complexity; however, at a minimum, it would include:

• Detailed Concept of Operations
• SORA Safety Case
• BVLOS Procedures
• Detailed KML/Operational Area map
• Stakeholder Engagement Information

One to Many:

Often, the end goal is to scale these Drone in a Box operations and start to see additional cost savings. One way to do this is to utilise one Remote Pilot to manage multiple Drones/RPAS simultaneously (often referred to as One-to-many or Swarming). This can be applied with the initial BVLOS application or can be added after the operator has gained further experience with BVLOS. When adding One to Many, careful consideration needs to be taken for the software utilized and how the remote pilot interacts with that software. Additional procedures will need to be added to ensure that in an emergency, all RPAS can be managed.

Operations Over or Near People:

Operations over or near people often necessitate careful consideration and additional approvals or exemptions. It’s crucial to establish a clear concept of operations, encompassing factors such as the nature of the task, altitude, location, and equipment to be utilized, including any supplementary safety gear like PSR parachutes. The defined concept of operations dictates the documentation necessary for submission to CASA. For straightforward operations, detailed procedures suffice, while more complex ones mandate a comprehensive SORA risk assessment.

Hover UAV understands the complexities of conducting flights and gaining regulatory approvals for drones in the boxes and developed packages to assist you on your journey including

• Discovery Workshops to Define Concept of Operations
• Trial and testing packages
• Approval submission  packages including EVLOS, BVLOS, One to many, and flights over people
• SORA training
• BVLOS OCTA exam training / BVLOS practical flight training
• Train the Trainer Packages for Chief Remote Pilots

Contact the team today for an initial free consultation and allow us to assist you on your drone journey.