The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has awarded a two-year renewal to SkySafe to continue addressing security concerns related to unregulated drone usage on campus. The renewal, announced by SkySafe in an October 22 press release, follows a year of using SkySafe’s cloud-based drone detection technology to manage airspace and secure major campus events.
SkySafe’s system enables the university to monitor, identify and track drone activity, providing warning of drone threats across campus.
“Our solution has given the University of Illinois comprehensive situational awareness across campus, accurately pinpointing both drones and their operators with near-perfect precision,” said Melissa Swisher, Chief Revenue Officer at SkySafe. “We’re excited to strengthen our partnership with the University of Illinois in addressing the challenges posed by evolving drone threats.”
The university’s use of SkySafe includes event security at high-profile gatherings like American football games, where large crowds and broadcast rights create additional security challenges. In one recent case in September, with around 60,000 spectators at a game, a drone was detected violating restricted airspace, leading to the arrest and later prosecution of the drone operator.
The incident demonstrates the potential threat drones pose to mass gatherings like those in stadiums. A drone operator with hostile intent could inflict serious loss of life or injury among such a densely packed crowd.
In the past year, SkySafe’s system recorded over 7,500 drone flights in the university’s airspace. This level of drone activity is the basis for an expanding C-UAS market focused on public safety, and highlights the challenge faced by those looking to protect against hostile drones. While the vast majority of these flights were likely those of harmless hobbyists, it can be difficult to differentiate these from hostile drones at first glance.
Detection and warning functions allow the university’s security team to detect potential airspace breaches, reducing the risk of disruptions.
“By preventing disruptions, the system safeguards public safety and operational efficiency, as well as valuable broadcasting rights for major networks like CBS and ESPN,” Swisher noted.
Due to the difficulty of distinguishing between harmless and hostile drones, and the potential threat these drones can pose in the time it takes to do so, securing airspaces as a whole is the easiest way to protect crowds against drone threats.
Detection and tracking technologies allow for the identification of potential incursions, although the challenge of defeating the drone or apprehending the operator still remains. Generally, layered defence strategies that offer multiple solutions for countering incursions are recommended.
Post Image Credit: University of Illinois Athletics
