North Dakota Researchers Receive Grant to Develop Network for BVLOS UAS Flights
Thanks to a grant from the North Dakota Centers of Excellence Commission, the Harris Corporation, in partnership with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and the University of North Dakota, will work on developing a network that provides aviation-grade services for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS flights.
According to the Harris Corporation, the network, which is expected to be developed within the Grand Forks-to-Fargo corridor, would be the first of its kind in the United States.
“This network will create a real-world environment for users to develop, test and certify new products and services,” says the executive director for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Nicholas Flom, through a Harris Corporation press release.
The Harris Corporation hopes to partner with end users in the local area to create test scenarios for UAS. Eventually, they would like to conduct a variety of tests for different scenarios, including roadway inspection, public safety and emergency services, and precision agriculture.
Vice President and General Manager of Commercial UAS Solutions at Harris Electronic Systems, George Kirov, says, “Harris is applying the same innovation and expertise that made us a leader in manned aircraft air traffic management solutions to integrate commercial UAS operations into the National Airspace System.”
“The use of UAS for business operations – such as remotely monitoring power lines, farms, and rail tracks – represents the future for many organizations.”
This grant, which is for two years, is a continuation of a previous grant that was aimed at creating and assessing detect-and-avoid technology for UAS.
