Sierra Wireless, the integrated device-to-cloud solutions provider, announced that its AirPrime® MC Series of embedded modules have been chosen by PrecisionHawk to enable global LTE connectivity for their Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety (LATAS) platform, which enables safe drone operation on a broad scale.
Sierra Wireless AirPrime MC7354 modules are currently installed in drones operating in Australia and New Zealand, providing critical real-time connectivity to locate drones and pinpoint their positions at all times, and send notifications to users about in-flight hazards, such as nearby aircraft and airspace restrictions.
Operating over worldwide cellular networks and satellites, the LATAS platform connects leading airspace management technologies, such as sense and avoid, geo-fencing and aircraft tracking, into a service package for commercial and recreational drone operators, as well as regulators and air traffic controllers. It is the only platform to link drones, 3D ground data and live manned aircraft data from the Federal Aviation Administration and global authorities into a single system that tells commercial or hobbyist drone operators when and where it’s safe to fly. It also allows users to request, track and verify all flight operations from a central location and automatically report flight paths back to aviation authorities. The LATAS platform can be used as plug and play or integrated into drone circuit systems during manufacturing, giving the drone better detection ability by radars and reporting systems.
Sierra Wireless and PrecisionHawk will be demonstrating the LATAS platform at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona. Visitors will also be able to pilot a drone around Barcelona with exclusive LATAS simulators that highlight hazards on land and in the sky to enable safe flight on a broad scale.
