Unmanned Drones Research Explores Commercial Video-Monitoring Capabilities
Drone Aviation partnered with an aerospace research group at Virginia Tech to study the commercial application of tethered drones.
Drone Aviation Holding Corp. and a research group based at Virginia Tech are studying the commercialization of video monitoring capabilities of unmanned tethered drones.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drone Aviation Holding Corp. (OTCQB:DRNE) is collaborating with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership at Virginia Tech (VTMAAP) to research, test and advance the commercialization of its unmanned tethered drones.
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The organizations began flight-testing in early August in Jacksonville, Fla., to explore the reliability, safety, and commercial-use cases for the Drone Aviation’s family of tethered drones and ultimately report the results to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“We are excited to demonstrate the advantages and many potential civil and commercial uses of our tethered drones,” says Jay Nussbaum, chairman of Drone Aviation Holding Corp. “This ongoing partnership will focus on evaluating the increased safety features and technical advantages of our tethered drones and sharing that data with the FAA for the potential commercial deployment of WATT systems into the national airspace for first responders and commercial entities.”
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The FAA selected the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership at Virginia Tech in December 2013, as one of six national test sites to conduct research to integrate unmanned aircraft into the nation’s airspace. Since then, the partnership has worked with unmanned aircraft systems to aid emergency responders, survey energy pipeline infrastructure, study agricultural land, and instruct media how drones can be incorporated into news gathering.
“At Virginia Tech, we see tremendous opportunity for tethered-drone technology because of its unique capabilities and safety profile, making it applicable to a large number of applications from news broadcasting to emergency response and facility security,” says Rose Mooney, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, headquartered at the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science at Virginia Tech. “We look forward to working with Drone Aviation Holding Corp., the FAA, and our consortium partners to explore the commercial application of this novel UAS technology.”
Drone Aviation’s WATT-200 is designed to safely provide secure and reliable aerial monitoring for extended durations while being tethered to the ground via a high strength armored tether, according to the company. Unlike hobbyist drones or manned aircraft, the WATT model delivers long flight duration and commercial grade, real-time video-monitoring capabilities day or night.
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