Nokia has revealed it is the first to offer a CE-certified,
turnkey drone-in-a-box solution, designed to meet the growing demands of
organizations including public safety agencies, smart cities, construction,
energy, and defense. CE-certified to the meet safety requirements of the European
Union, the Nokia Drone Networks solution connects over public and private
4G/LTE and 5G networks to enhance situational awareness for first responders
and other professionals.
The
solution is manufactured in Europe and comprises Nokia drones, docking station,
dual gimbal camera, and edge cloud processing using Nokia MX Industrial Edge
(MXIE). By connecting over public and private 4G/LTE and 5G networks, customers
will benefit from the highest reliability. Using cellular connectivity
technologies also offers higher data rates and lower latency enabling more data
to be streamed than over Wi-Fi. Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations
with real-time kinetic (RTK) positioning improves situational awareness. Dual
modem connectivity allows Nokia drones to simultaneously connect to multiple
networks, complying with system redundancy that is commonly required by
aviation regulatory bodies.
The
Nokia Drone Networks solution can be operated remotely for search and rescue
activities, and to assess damage in a hazardous environment. Nokia drones can
also be programmed to manage autonomous scheduled flights for applications like
additional security at large events or to manage regular remote equipment
inspections. The docking station protects the drone and payload, such as the
sensor devices or dual gimbal camera, from external hazards and harsh weather
while it remotely charges the drone to prepare for the next flight.
When
used in conjunction with Nokia MXIE, data from Nokia drones can be collected
and processed in real-time at the edge cloud. An open API framework allows
agencies and enterprises to onboard pre-integrated Nokia and third-party
applications and systems and take advantage of a growing number of compelling
public safety and Industry 4.0 use cases for drone automation, including object
identification, tracking, and network measurement.
Nokia
and the New York Power Authority have already demonstrated the use of the Nokia
Drone Networks solution, connected over private LTE, for transmission line
inspection.
Thomas Eder, Head
of Embedded Wireless Solutions at Nokia, said: “Our mission is to
reshape the industrial UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) market, providing enhanced
situational awareness to aid search and rescue, surveillance, and other UAV
operations in a wide variety of industries. Nokia Drone Networks has been
designed to comply with the remote operation requirements of aviation
regulatory bodies such as EASA in Europe and FAA in the United States. This
will help us address growing market demands as a turnkey provider with a
solution designed and produced in Europe. The unique feature set enabling the
integration of Nokia drones with third-party applications will aid the
transformation of the drones, allowing them to be used as a flying data
collection platform leveraging reliable 4G and 5G edge cloud connectivity.”
Depending
on the deployed configuration, Nokia drones offer more than 50 minutes of
flight time and cover distances of more than 30 km due to the unique hardware
architecture, integrated software innovations, and the 4G/5G connectivity.
