(EUROPE)
Vodafone is pioneering air traffic systems to help monitor the increasing number of drones in the skies.
Its game-changing Radio Positioning System (RPS) embeds drones with a SIM that can relay information including its location, ‘with up to 50 metre accuracy’. One key feature of the RPS is it harnesses Artificial Intelligence algorithms to make it possible for ‘very large numbers of drones to be tracked and controlled remotely’.
Tapping into 4G Internet of Things (IoT) tech, the platform is designed to avert potentially devastating accidents with conventional aircraft and stop them being used to commit crimes, like transporting drugs.
Vodafone Group Chief Technology Officer Johan Wibergh, said: “This groundbreaking innovation by Vodafone will help to ensure the skies stay safe as drones become ubiquitous, everywhere.”
Tests are ongoing, with more planned for Germany and Spain. The system is expected to be on the market from 2019.
This European-focussed initiative follows recent moves in New Zealand and Singapore to develop air traffic control systems for drone users.
