Co-creating an Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) platform with a $150 billion conglomerate

Every unmanned vehicle pilot has to weigh unauthorized access risks, human error in remote control, the technical difficulty of flying beyond visual line of sight, and the need to coordinate safely with other flights in the airspace - all without a single platform offering full situational awareness, especially for first responder and disaster management use cases. Zemoso partnered with the conglomerate's innovation and incubation wing to identify the most urgent, high-value problem for UAVs and help drone operators function safely in low-altitude airspace as the ecosystem changed in near real time.

1.Validate

GV-inspired advanced design sprints to translate stakeholder vision into demo-able artifacts and align internally and ensure that the final product meets user needs and stakeholders’ vision.

2.Launch

Architect, iterate, test, implement feedback, and then launch beta in 2 months with fast and frequent releases of functionalities.

3. Grow

Pressure test and improve the platform with an event-driven + microservices architecture for security and scalability that could support telemetry from 1000s of drones simultaneously without compromising safety.

4. Expand

Adapt and expand functionality of the core solution for diverse use cases for first responders, energytech, disaster management, etc. The platform could be used in various scenarios, making it a versatile tool for different industries and use cases.

The ultimate solution was a centralized platform equipped with practical operational tools and operational oversight, compliance and flight authorization processes. It also had the ability to provide airspace advisories, video streaming, and full Situational Awareness, eliminating the need for multiple applications and improving airspace visibility even beyond BVLoS.

An unprecedented UTM platform - features we delivered

Our partnership's goals were clear from Day 1, to  make a new, unmanned way of moving possible, for packages, medical delivery, inspections, and public safety. So, we infused next generation air traffic management technology with world-class aviation expertise and agile execution. The final version of the product was equipped with the following features, making it fit to be used by energytech companies for inspection, and public safety agencies for emergency response.

• Operational oversight via a centralized platform: We delivered a highly secure, cloud-based platform that enabled users to plan, schedule and monitor all flights. Moreover, we equipped the platform with all the tools one may need to fly with complete confidence like full visibility for both Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and analytics like flight logs. The platform also offers geofence capabilities to enable first responders to block volumes of space as No-fly Zones (NFZ) for their operations and alert others subscribed to that space to prevent conflict.
• Trajectory projection (TP) service: The platform offered TP services for generating 3D volumes of space encompassing the flight route and predicting optimal flight path from the start and end point to enable safe travels.

• Deconfliction: For safe separation and avoidance of potential conflicts between drones and foreign objects in the airspace, we added the deconfliction functionality. The system would interact with the US air transportation network to collect and store all flight plans and minimize possibilities of potential collision. Moreover, we enabled the system to avoid colliding in unfamiliar terrains by incorporating UAS Facility Maps and FAA-ArcGIS.

• Flight analytics and insights: The UTM platform also provides actionable intelligence and analytics data to help users better manage assets. With inspection insights, like flight logs, performance, fault tolerance, etc., users get a comprehensive picture of how assets (drones) are performing at any time.

• Low altitude authorization and notification capability (LAANC) support: We built the LAANC system at lightning fast speed in 3 months.The platform was well capable to plan and exchange information regarding low altitude flights near airports with the FAA. It would notify pilots in case a planned airspace is no longer available due to other operations. Ultimately, LAANC support facilitated smooth UAV operations near airports.

• Conformance monitoring: To enhance security of unmanned vehicles, we added conformance monitoring that involves near real-time monitoring of drone flights and ensure the drone operators’ compliance with FAA-LAANC regulations. In case of non-compliance, the system promptly sends alerts to the pilot and central ground station. All the stakeholders will be notified in the case of non-conformance via push notifications, and SMS to enable quick response. We successfully complied with ever-evolving FAA regulations for 3 consecutive years.

This collaboration on DroneTech and UAV is a testament to Zemoso's ability to navigate the challenging, often unpredictable landscape of innovation within strict timeframes. Whether creating a groundbreaking new solution or refining an existing one, our self-organized agile pods proved to be exceptional innovation partners in bringing this product to life.