ANRA Technologies Demonstrates New Drone Tracking Solutions

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M Crosby

Leading airspace management provider ANRA Technologies, working alongside the ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, completed a series of demonstrations of the live tracking of drones within India’s national airspace.

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Two different tracking methods were displayed, the first of which was a software plugin, and the second a strap-on hardware module which demonstrated a range of possible tracking approaches. Drones from ideaForge, Asteria Aerospace and ANRA possessing these abilities were all linked through ANRA’s SmartSkies Tracker Platform, allowing users to monitor simultaneous drone operations underway in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Bangalore.

A demonstration of the software plugin featured the integration of a drone in Bangalore operated by Asteria Aerospace, and another in the NCR operated by ANRA. A third drone from IdeaForge was also integrated via the strap-on hardware module, demonstrating the range and flexibility of integration options.

Each drone was tracked in real-time, with its locations and flight details displayed on the SmartSkies Tracker App. Drone operators were able to turn the tracking option on or off, and users possessing the proper authorization were capable of viewing the tracking information through the app.

“Today, we took another step forward for the Indian drone industry by demonstrating a tracking and Remote ID solution that addresses some of the key operational concerns for the government of India,” said ANRA Technologies Founder and CEO Amit Ganjoo. “Our Tracker platform is network-based so authorised users anywhere in India can view tracking any of the integrated drones.”

“Testing various solutions for Remote ID in the real world is a key first step towards arriving at a Remote ID ecosystem that delivers its objectives to Drone OEMs, operators & regulators,” said ideaForge CEO and Co-founder Ankit Mehta. “Using the strap-on device, we were able to derive key insights, which can help Industry players recommend the right approach to building a Remote ID ecosystem within Indian unmanned airspace”

Smaller drones prove challenging to track through traditional methods such as radar. Moreover, not all drones are connected to technology transmitting their telemetry to a shared network. The software plugin and strap-on hardware solutions provide new options, and their successful demonstration illustrated the potential of this technology.

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer