Iris Automation Launches Casia G: Ground-based Surveillance System

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Today, Iris Automation announced that its ground-based detect and avoid (DAA) surveillance solution, Casia G, will be made commercially available. Utilizing the same AI and computer vision technology as Iris Automation’s onboard solutions, Casia G offers a full optical, 360° degree field of view to detect, alert and enable operators to avoid both co-operative and non-cooperative aircraft for safe beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight.

Casia G establishes a zone of sanitized, monitored airspace for the safe operation of UAVs. Perfect for operations in both fixed or temporary locations, Casia G supports drone-in-a-box solutions and can be used to either supplement or replace human visual observers.

“A human has sufficient visual acuity to see airborne traffic only within a +/-5 degree field of view around our focal point – we have to scan the sky, and are frankly not very good at it,” said Iris Automation CEO Jon Damush. “Casia G sees the entire sky, with uniform probability and resolution, 10 times per second – without distractions or breaks. This is a solution for airspace awareness that covers a large majority of small UAS use cases, but at a price point that is economically viable and without complex integration.”

With Casia G, operators have access to an affordable airspace awareness solution that allows for the operation of various aircraft within the coverage area, due to the lack of requirement for direct aircraft integration. This all comes without requiring difficult or expensive integrations with aircraft systems, consuming valuable size, weight and power (SWaP) from the aircraft, or requiring approvals from agencies other than the FAA.

Casia G also allows for the creation of an expandable network, enabled by adding additional units in a mesh, providing a greater area of coverage. The network then sends a single feed of air traffic to an operator’s UTM system. This system grants a path to approvals for larger areas as well as one-to-many operations by providing a comprehensive view of the airspace.

Casia G was previously granted a BVLOS waiver on behalf of the City of Reno, with Iris Automation in the process of proving additional deployment patterns and concepts of operation with the FAA.

“The Casia portfolio of products is a force multiplier for safety,” said Jason Hardy-Smith, VP of Product at Iris Automation. “Whether enabling autonomous flight or adding an additional layer of safety for piloted flight, it’s an extra level of surveillance. Casia G offers an extremely scalable ground-based solution for times where onboard isn’t an option or a fixed location needs to be surveyed, creating a safety zone ideal for a wide range of surveillance use cases.”

Casia G also integrates technology from several industry leaders, including Kongsberg Geospatial’s advanced situational awareness display, specially tailored for the Casia G sensor, as well as TruWeather’s micro weather climate technology and Whitefox Defense’s DroneFox anti-drone system.

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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.