UAS detection/avoidance systems developed

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.”