Aeryon Labs Inc. recently participated in the Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) program trials at the Oklahoma Test Center-Unmanned Systems test complex near Lawton, OK.
The objective of the RAPS programme, conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Borders and Maritime Security Division (BMD), is to evaluate a select number of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) using key performance measurements in a variety of simulated, but true-to-life public safety operational scenarios.
Eleven in all, these scenarios included fire and emergency response, law enforcement, search and rescue, and border security operations. The results, including the system’s capability to operate safely even when communication is lost between the aircraft and the ground controller, will be made available to government and public safety agencies who are considering sUAS as a tool for performing daily public safety functions.
“The scenario trials in the RAPS project are invaluable”, said Dr. John Appleby, DHS Program Manager. “Law enforcement and first responder agencies don’t necessarily have the time or resources to research and perform their own evaluations of technology. They will now have access to the results of all the tests performed by each sUAS and know what to expect with each system in the field – assembly, take-off, landing and overall performance. They can then make their decisions based on ‘DHS qualified’ data.”
Both the Aeryon Scout and Aeryon SkyRanger participated in the trials. There were a number of performance parameters that were evaluated during each test flight, including flight time, ground speed, distance from base station, landing accuracy, as well as deployment and recovery methods.
“For us to participate in third-party trials like the RAPS programme is extremely important.” said Dave Kroetsch, Aeryon’s President, “Operating the Scout and SkyRanger successfully in multiple true-to-life scenarios in one location reinforces the successes of our customers – and validates our design approach and focus on ease-of-use, reliability, and flight performance. By having these reports readily available to public safety agencies they can make informed decisions about adopting systems that will work best in their specific applications.”
Kroetsch continued, “We are very pleased with the performance of our systems during the RAPS trials and look forward to seeing the final report. This was also a great opportunity to showcase the recently announced Aeryon SkyRanger.”
Aeryon SkyRanger performance tests included:
- 42 minute flight time with 3 minute battery margin remaining
- Beyond 3 mi (5 km) range with streaming 720p HD video
- Groundspeed tests beyond 30 mph (50 kph)
- Ascent/descent rates > 10 ft/sec (3 m/sec)
Source: Press Release