Zipline has provided a solution to the possible collisions of drones and other drones in urban conditions. According to the company’s technical director, this acoustic awareness system should become the “Holy Grail” for unmanned technologies.

Soon the city sky will be filled with all kinds of helicopters. From small logistics and delivery planes to air taxis, this is roughly the kind of picture seen in movies like The Fifth Element. But one of the main questions is security: How can hundreds of thousands of small aircraft use airspace without colliding with each other and disrupting the flight path of others?

Zipline believes it has a solution in the form of an acoustic sensing and avoidance system (DAA), which its co-founder and technical director Keenan Vairobeck calls “the holy grail of unmanned technology.”

Each aircraft will be equipped with a microphone and onboard processors, and the company says it will detect other drones within 2km, give them 360-degree awareness, and make appropriate adjustments, allowing flight control systems to track and track multiple aircraft. flight route.

The company says it has already installed the DAA system on its own drones and is now seeking regulatory approval.