DroneSAFE - Drones that make Safe Aerial Filming Easy!

DroneSAFE was a collaboration between The Staaker Company AS and SINTEF Digital that aimed to develop a new drone platform and sensing technologies capable of world-leading precision and robustness for user tracking and safe, autonomous flight amongst obstacles. These advances would enable Staaker to build on their existing product and to establish themselves as the leading provider of personal camera drones for the action and adventure sports market. The primary objective of the project was to develop an affordable drone platform for aerial filming that offered precise and robust user tracking and was safe and easy to use outdoors. Key research challenges included long-range 3D sensing for collision avoidance at fast flight speeds; robust and precise user tracking; optimising next-generation drone platforms for mass production; streaming real-time HD video to the ground during flight. Due to Staaker's merger with Nordic Unmanned and subsequent strategic re-focus, the DroneSAFE project was discontinued before the main aims were fulfilled. However, the collaboration with SINTEF still produced results that Staaker will incorporate into future products, including an improved hardware-in-the-loop simulation environment, enabling automated optimisation and rigorous testing of design parameters and new sensor technologies; as well as designs for a combined visual+GNSS tracking system for robust and precise user tracking, and initial designs for an onboard vision pipeline that will enable more intelligent video composition, and live streaming during flight. These advancements have allowed Staaker to position themselves as market-leading producers of drone AI technology and will continue to contribute to the growth of the world-class drone technology hub in Norway.

Staaker achieved the following preliminary outcomes during the shortened project: o Developed a new simulator, enabling - A drone's behaviour to be simulated in photo-realistic environments - Testing and simulation of changes to onboard SW and HW - Simulation of 3D sensors such as lidar and stereo cameras - SIL and HIL testing and development o Developed an embedded video stack for onboard processing of payload sensors o Enhanced internal competance for development of 3D sensing technologies, simulation, and automatic aerial filming. This project has developed new competencies, both for Staaker as well as SINTEF as project R&D partner, and contributed to the growth of the world-class drone technology hub in Norway.

DroneSAFE is a collaboration between The Staaker Company AS and SINTEF Digital that will develop a new drone platform and sensing technologies capable of world-leading precision and robustness for user tracking and safe, autonomous flight amongst obstacles. These advances will enable Staaker to build on their existing product and to establish themselves as the leading provider of personal camera drones for the action and adventure sports market. The primary objective of the project is to develop an affordable drone platform for aerial filming that offers precise and robust user tracking and is safe and easy to use outdoors. Key research challenges include long-range 3D sensing for collision avoidance at fast flight speeds; robust and precise user tracking; optimising next-generation drone platforms for mass production; streaming real-time HD video to the ground during flight. Anticipated outcomes of this project are production-ready drone prototypes and technologies, and an IP portfolio that protects the critical developments. Results from this project will be incorporated directly into new generations of the Staaker drone platform. Success of the DroneSAFE project will enable Staaker to create their own niche within the competitive consumer drone market and to become the dominant provider of camera drones for action and adventure sports.