ResilienX wins NASA Contract...
ResilienX Awarded NASA Phase III SBIR Contract with NASA System Wide Safety Project
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Syracuse, NY – ResilienX, Inc. announced today that they have completed a prototype for a new capability to estimate the battery usage for a given flight plan, based on craft and battery characteristics and the forecasted wind profile. This research was made possible through a Phase II SBIR Extension contract funded by Spright, Pablo Air, and NASA. The research effort brought together a collection of partners in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) industry to support flight testing in South Korea, Michigan, and at the Fort Monroe UAS Center of Excellence in Hampton, VA (operated by The Longbow Group).
The team was able to achieve results which accurately predicted discharge current from nominal flight operation information, exceeding 99% model accuracy for a current aircraft, trained with the flight data. The accuracy metric includes the sum of the discharge current time series function, when comparing the truth time series to that of the predictor.
To test and validate BE-WindEE, flight plans were generated and a wind profile over the route was calculated by the TruWeather RouteCast service. Anemometers (wind sensors) were attached to each craft (Figure 2), far enough away to be unaffected by the rotors, to collect the actual wind data. Collected data was used to train the BE-WindEE ML models, which were then used to successfully predict the battery usage over the next set of flights.
“Our next step is to productize our new Battery Estimator for Wind Energy Efficiency (BE-WindEE) to support UAS operations at scale, across many different craft configurations and battery types,” explained Andrew Carter, ResilienX CTO. “ResilienX will be collaborating with WindShape to capture and validate data for training methodologies using WindShape’s Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Validation Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This will enable OEMs and operators to run through a battery of wind tests to validate their system performance, and if they choose, feed the data to train BE-WindEE. This would unlock the BE-WindEE service for their craft. Operators will also have the option to use BE-WindEE in conjunction with the ResilienX FRIAHMWORK safety assurance software to monitor for battery health issues.”
“ResilienX’s new Battery Estimator for Wind Energy Efficiency (BE-WindEE) supports UAS operations by ingesting wind forecasts and predicting battery discharge rates for craft while on a mission,” explained Andrew Carter, ResilienX CTO. “The ability to accurately predict necessary downtime due to charging needs will create an opportunity for highly efficient scheduling and increase revenue for operators. These efficiencies will drive higher margins for operators who need to maximize the time the drone is in the air to make money.”
TruWeather Solutions, a leading innovator for micro-weather sensing and decision insights, drove the wind forecasting models used by BE-WindEE to anticipate remaining battery life for the flight testing. Don Berchoff, TruWeather CEO said, “The ability to accurately predict necessary downtime due to charging needs will create an opportunity for highly efficient scheduling and increase revenue for operators. These efficiencies will drive higher margins for operators who need to maximize the time the drone is in the air to make money. Accurately forecasting the wind at low altitudes will enable these efficiencies and we are happy to deliver our wind service to meet this need.”
PABLO AIR is a South Korean company and a leading provider of integrated drone solutions. They supported ResilienX as part of this NASA effort by conducting flight tests in both South Korea as well as Hampton, VA. The flight tests allowed ResilienX to validate their BE-WindEE prototype. Chanjoo Lee, Chief Operating Officer of PABLO AIR said, “as a drone delivery service and UATM (Urban Air Traffic Management) provider, through the prototype, we learned a significant opportunity in leveraging the ability to accurately forecast potential impacts between operational geographical conditions and operational decisions. We are excited about how this solution can enhance our operational capabilities and contribute to the development of urban air mobility infrastructure.”
Blueflite, who earlier this year announced a new partnership for 40 units of their advanced logistics drone platform to Spright, also conducted flight testing in Michigan to support this NASA SBIR. “As a commercial operator our focus is to keep aircraft in the air," said Jim Rector, VP of Operations for Spright. “There are several components to that operational challenge and expanding our understanding of wind and battery consumption on our service models will increase our ability to serve customers efficiently.”
“When it comes to a new capability like this, data is king,” said Carter. “We had some great partners step up and support us for this effort. PABLO AIR and the Spright / Blueflite team conducted dozens of flights to help us validate our models and we are looking forward to offering BE-WindEE to a wider audience in the future.”
About ResilienX
ResilienX is a software company developing safety assurance solutions for autonomous ecosystems. Their FRAIHMWORK software platform monitors the heath, integrity and performance of the systems involved in scaled BVLOS operations, helping organizations meet the FAA's requirements around Associated Elements (i.e. …in-service monitoring criteria to detect out-of-compliance performance and initiate corrective action…). Founded in 2018 in Syracuse, NY, they are focused on ensuring the safe integration of UAS into existing airspace systems and transforming mobility around the world. www.resilienx.com.
About TWS
TruWeather has engineered the benchmark blueprint for system architecture and micro weather precision. This enables effective monitoring and communications for air and ground mobility, smart cities, and other autonomous software ecosystems in regard to the dynamics of weather. The key to TruWeather's success is providing an "Ecosystem of Weather Intelligence" powered by leading-edge technologies to collect, process, and analyze weather data in real-time and at highly localized levels. The V360° weather platform is the first to translate real-time micro weather data and predictive data into discrete workflow decision insights to sharpen resource scheduling, planning and execution resulting in safer, reliable, and productive operations.
About PABLO AIR
Since its first step into the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market in 2018 in South Korea, PABLO AIR has provided a wide array of integrated drone solutions, including UAV control system, aircraft development, and drone delivery platform and service. In addition, PABLO AIR is continuously carrying forward research and development, and commercialization at home and abroad to become a pioneer of the global UAV industry. Furthermore, with the establishment of the U.S. branch as a starting point in 2021, it has been recognized for its technological prowess in the global UAV market. https://pabloair.com
About blueflite
blueflite is designing and manufacturing an advanced cargo drone platform to solve the modern-day challenges in the logistics industry. blueflite’s drones offer faster deliveries at a lower cost compared to conventional transport. The unique and patented design features vectored thrust and machine learning software, giving it unrivaled maneuverability and the ability to reliably operate in any weather. The platform allows for complete digital integration into an all-automated supply chain for high-speed deliveries at scale.
About Spright
Spright provides turnkey unmanned aerial systems (UAS) service solutions that are revolutionizing healthcare delivery and aerial utility inspections. Applying groundbreaking technology and an innovative service model, Spright offers streamlined and sustainable drone-based solutions to overcome the everyday challenges of inefficient ground operations. Spright is based in Gilbert, Arizona and is a division of Air Methods.
About Windshape
Founded in 2016, WindShape, a pioneering Swiss company, has been at the leading edge of the UAS industry with its extensive range of wind-generating testing products and solutions. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, its USA subsidiary has emerged as a hub for UAS testing, inspection, certification, and validation, expediting the integration of UAS and AAM into the NAS, while reducing time to market and stakeholder development costs. With eight laboratories in a single location, the WindShape Tulsa facility not only validates performance and safety standards, but also provides manufacturers, operators, and regulators with an indoor laboratory to test and inspect their aircraft and systems in variable real wind and weather conditions. For WindShape, the emphasis isn't solely on safety but on capturing quality data to drive informed decisions.
