Thales and Telstra link up to enable safe airspace for drones

Thales and Australian mobile network provider Telstra are working together to enable the management of low altitude airspace for autonomous flying taxis, drones and helicopters. The partnership is investigating how 4G and 5G technology and Internet of Things capabilities could enable robust navigation and monitoring of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly called drones. Chris Jenkins, chief executive of Thales Australia, says the partnership intends to help customers integrate unmanned aircra
March 4, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

596 Thales and Australian mobile network provider Telstra are working together to enable the management of low altitude airspace for autonomous flying taxis, drones and helicopters.

The partnership is investigating how 4G and 5G technology and Internet of Things capabilities could enable robust navigation and monitoring of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly called drones.

Chris Jenkins, chief executive of Thales Australia, says the partnership intends to help customers integrate unmanned aircraft into controlled airspace and help drone users perform their “missions in an orderly, safe and timely manner”.

Thales and Telstra have developed a prototype air traffic control platform called Low Altitude Airspace Management to integrate manned and unmanned traffic. The firms say it will include automated drone flight approvals and dynamic airspace management.

Australia is not the only country looking to improve the safety of airspace for drones. Last month, US space agency Nasa confirmed it is moving into the final %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external phase false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/nasa-tests-drone-traffic-management-system-in-nevada-and-texas/ false false%>of a four-year programme to prove it can safely control drones flying over urban areas.

Enforcement

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Siemens snaps up Aimsun in deal agreed at Intertraffic
    March 22, 2018
    Intertraffic was the venue for the announcement of one of the biggest deals of the year as electronics giant Siemens acquired Barcelona-based mobility modelling specialist Aimsun for an undisclosed sum. Initially spun out from a university research lab team, TSS-Transport Simulation Systems, as the company was initially known, has spent 20 years developing its microsimulator into a multi-level integrated modeling platform. Aimsun systems and algorithms use real-time traffic data to optimise traffic flows
    Read More
  • Uber launches shift worker-to-job platform
    October 9, 2019
    Not content with ride-hailing and food delivery, Uber has branched into the employment market. The company has launched its Uber Works platform in Chicago, a service which aims to connect workers with businesses that need to fill available shifts. In a blog post, Uber says the app makes it easier to find and claim a shift “for positions as diverse as being a prep cook, warehouse worker, a commercial cleaner or event staff”. The app also includes information about gross pay, work location and skills, re
    Read More
  • Easy GPS retrofitting with Telepazio LCS plug-in solution
    October 18, 2012
    In the demonstration areas of the ITS World Congress, Telespazio, a joint venture between Finmeccanica and Thales, will showcase LCS, a ‘plug-in’ solution that enables easy retrofitting of existing GPS systems to use and exploit the capabilities of the EGNOS Commercial Service. The demonstration will show its use in an ITS system for tracking and tracing operational tankers transporting hydrocarbon in Europe.
    Read More
  • Enlarged Proceq group to stress Swiss quality
    March 21, 2018
    Portable materials testing specialist Proceq of Switzerland comes to Intertraffic with an enlarged suite of products, having newly acquired fellow-Swiss company Zehntner Testing Instruments. Proceq acquired Zehntner, which specialises in the quality control of surfaces – particularly the gloss measurement and retroreflectometry of surfaces – on January 1. Zehntner is particularly strong in the field of hand-held retroreflectometers.
    Read More

Highlighted Content