After a successful initial phase, Airwayz Drones Ltd will now participate in the second phase of the NAAMA pilot program in Israel, testing the safety and efficiency of using drone fleets in urban environments.
Phase two will see more than 50 drones from 8 different teams operate in one airspace in Hadera, Israel, doubling the number of fleets that participated in the first stage in March, as well as the inclusion of Emergency Services.
A manned helicopter and other low-flying vehicles will also be integrated, allowing teams to examine drone responses to technologies outside its fleet, and to scrutinize the commercial viability of drone fleets in real-life environments.
The NAAMA (a Hebrew acronym for Urban Aerial Transport) pilot program, organised by the Ayalon Highways Ltd., and Israel Innovation Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and the Prime Minister’s Office, started in March 2021 and is now scaling up its operations with its next phase of testing.
Airwayz’s unique Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology will coordinate all the systems at the event, whilst 50% of the drone operators will use its flight software which enables fully autonomous operation for users across multiple drones through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Testing the implementation of drone fleets in urban environments is integral to us as a business. Continuing our involvement in this second phase of the pilot is crucial to us as we continue to disrupt the traditional perceptions of transport networks across the world,” says Eyal Zor, CEO and Co-Founder of Airwayz.
“This time, with the increased number of drones and operators, and other real-life obstacles, we can really showcase the potential of drone technology as an extremely valuable and safe method for applications in delivery, inspection, surveillance and much more.”
Airwayz’s flight system and UTM platforms feature AI functions such as advanced mission planning, remote control and multiple autonomous flight modes. The technology allows operators to share flight information and enables operational coordination for fleets of drones undertaking a range of tasks.
“We are proud to have been chosen as the sole UTM provider for the second stage of the NAAMA pilot scheme and look forward to demonstrating to the world how feasible drone fleets are using our incredible software,” adds Zor.