Applications of Detect and Avoid Systems
Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

Detect and Avoid Solutions & Software by Sagetech Avionics
Urban air mobility platforms depend heavily on DAA systems to manage flight safety amid skyscrapers, power lines, and congested air corridors. Air taxis, for example, must maintain real-time awareness of both static obstacles and dynamic threats such as other aircraft and environmental hazards like birds or drones.
By combining ADS-B, radar, and visual sensors, these systems enable coordinated navigation and airspace deconfliction in real-time. UAM systems also rely on detect and avoid to comply with air traffic control protocols and demonstrate safety equivalency to manned aviation.
Delivery and Logistics
Autonomous drones performing delivery missions, whether for retail packages, medical supplies, or emergency equipment, must navigate complex environments at low altitude. Detect and avoid systems enable these drones to dynamically reroute when unexpected obstacles, such as cranes, construction zones, or other UAVs, are encountered. In addition to airspace deconfliction, these systems ensure ground safety by avoiding power lines and tall trees near drop-off points. Integrated DAA is also essential for time-sensitive deliveries, where delays due to safety concerns could compromise the mission.
Search and Rescue (SAR)
Search and rescue drones are frequently deployed in unpredictable and hazardous environments, including mountainous terrain, collapsed buildings, and disaster zones. DAA systems enable these UAVs to safely maneuver through narrow gaps, around debris, and in low-visibility conditions. By incorporating thermal imaging and EO/IR sensors, these systems not only help detect obstacles but also identify people in distress. Real-time navigation and threat avoidance enable SAR teams to focus on rescue rather than navigating challenges, thereby improving both response time and success rates.
Agriculture
In agricultural settings, UAVs operate close to the ground and near structures such as silos, irrigation equipment, and treelines. Detect and avoid systems prevent mid-air collisions with these features and ensure continuous coverage of target areas, such as crop rows or pastures. Many agricultural drones use computer vision and sensor fusion to detect and respond to moving hazards, such as livestock or farm equipment. This automation enables large-scale data collection and crop spraying without requiring constant human supervision, thereby increasing operational efficiency and safety.
Infrastructure Inspection
Drones inspecting power lines, pipelines, bridges, and telecommunications towers must operate very close to complex structures. DAA systems enable safe autonomous operation even in environments with limited GNSS availability or visual line of sight. These systems use stereo cameras, LiDAR, and proximity sensors to prevent collisions while allowing detailed inspection data to be gathered at close range. For critical infrastructure, where safety and uptime are paramount, DAA-equipped UAVs are transforming how routine inspections are conducted.
Environmental Monitoring and Research
UAVs used in environmental monitoring must often operate in remote, rugged, or GPS-denied environments such as dense forests, coastlines, or polar regions. DAA systems allow these drones to navigate safely despite limited visibility and highly variable terrain. These missions typically include collecting atmospheric samples, tracking wildlife, or mapping environmental changes. Reliable DAA systems ensure that the data collection mission is not interrupted by avoidable collisions, thereby preserving both the equipment and the scientific output.