Aloft Technologies, Inc. has announced the release of Air Boss, a novel product tailored to offer on-site low-altitude aircraft coordination and communication for emergency response.
Air Boss
Air Boss takes low-altitude UTM beyond the theoretical stage by providing practical applications for real-world airspace management that are secure and scalable. This innovative solution provides coordination and communication for low-altitude airspace, with the ability to publish advisories across the Aloft network, making it the perfect solution for emergency response situations. Air Boss combines various elements necessary for low-altitude UTM, including:
– Custom data layers and live flight feeds
– The largest audience of recreational, commercial, and government drone operators
– FAA-approved USS capabilities, such as LAANC
– Compliance capabilities for fleet management, UTM, and Remote ID
– Over 5 million square miles of unique safety data via Aloft Geo
– Developer APIs and map tiles to integrate natively with emergency response centers
– Secured and certified systems to ingest radar and surveillance data
Aloft is collaborating with Greg Agvent, CEO of Windsock ADM and formerly Senior Director of CNN Air and member of the FAA’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee. Agvent worked first-hand with public safety and emergency response centers to coordinate flights for CNN. We’re excited to bring his expertise and services to our customers and emergency response centers nationwide. “With Air Boss, you have full visibility and interactivity into low altitude operators and operations across your jurisdiction,” states Windsock ADM founder and drone industry veteran Agvent.
“We’ve seen the need for our users and customers to operate in busy and dynamic airspace, especially amid storm, fire, and emergency response,” said Jon Hegranes, CEO & Founder of Aloft. “With Air Boss, we are taking a significant step forward in the drone industry by providing real-world airspace management solutions for emergency response scenarios.”
Real-World Operations Contribute to Product Development
Storms have been a major contributor to our product development over the years, from encrypted live streaming for Shell to SGI airspace waivers for utility customers.
During Hurricane Ian last year, Aloft Geo played a critical role in providing local airspace advisories and situational awareness to emergency responders. The data was contributed by a range of entities including local public safety, FEMA, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and was used to facilitate safe drone operations in active low-altitude areas of operation across four states. These experiences, along with five years of product development, have helped in the creation of Air Boss, which is designed to enable recreational, commercial, and government pilots to fly in any conditions or events.
Air Boss has several functions, including real-time situational awareness, secure communication channels, and scalable airspace management tools. It also facilitates the coordination of multiple drone flights, ensuring safe and efficient operations in shared airspace. The combination of Aloft’s UTM capabilities creates the opportunity for more flight and utilization of the airspace, even when conditions fluctuate and coordination is required. Additionally, with the Aloft API, airspace tiles and alerts can be integrated into native Emergency Operations Centers, and it is compatible with a variety of Critical Event Management and Emergency Operations Management software suites like ESRI.
“We’ve worked with our enterprise and public safety customers in designing Air Boss to help emergency response teams operate more effectively in low-altitude airspace across crewed and uncrewed aircraft,” said Hegranes. “We believe Air Boss will be an invaluable tool for first responders, law enforcement, and emergency management professionals. By combining Aloft’s patented dynamic airspace and remote identification technologies with the largest connected network of drone pilots and airspace stakeholders, Air Boss is uniquely positioned to power low-altitude airspace and open the airspace for all.”
Post Image- AUVSI XPO 23 at the Colorado Convention Center (Image Credit: C-UAS Hub)
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