MALÅ GeoDrone in Collaborative Research Project
In the collaborative project EDIS – electric aircraft and drones in the service of the community – Guideline Geo works together with LFV, KATLA Aero, Flypulse and Luleå University of Technology (LTU). The aim of the project, which is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration, is to demonstrate the possibilities of using drones and electric aircraft to improve the conditions for community service and transport in areas with large distances and limited access to critical social functions.
Guideline Geo’s unique airborne ground radar technology (MALÅ GeoDrone) will be used to collect geophysical data during emergency or scheduled missions.
Emergency assignments include the use of drones for functions in emergency response in the event of accidents or in danger of so-called blue light functions, for example for situational perception in car accidents, mountain rescue and avalanche search. Here the focus is on flight speed.
Scheduled assignments refer to functions for routine and scheduled operations, which today are often carried out by helicopter. Here, the focus is on range, on the environmental aspects of electric aircraft instead of helicopters and on the cost of carrying out such assignments. Examples of assignments may be a review of forest stocks, an assessment of avalanche hazards and water conditions, storm damage affecting the infrastructure and forest fires.
In January 2021, LFV’s new test and demonstration facility LFV Aviation Research Center (LARC) will be completed at Örnsköldsvik Airport. Discussions are also ongoing with Åsele and Storuman about becoming part of the LARC cluster. It gives the research operations a geographically dispersed test and validation arena based in Örnsköldsvik and satellite sites in Åsele and Storuman.
It will provide opportunities for collaboration between industry, academia and society in the areas of airport operations, electric aviation and airspace issues and has a planning horizon of at least ten years. In the fall of 2019, LARC was used for demonstration of autonomous ground vehicles as part of the work on the vision of the autonomous airport.
The EDIS project is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration and is the first to use the LFV Aviation Research Center as the home arena for a project in electric aviation. For upcoming demonstrations in a real environment, you also collaborate with Åsele municipality and Storuman municipality. Since the project is based on electric powered aircraft and drones, it also contributes to reduced climate impact. The project will also identify the requirements that unmanned aviation will impose on airspace and air traffic management.
The project includes autonomous and automatic navigation out of sight for the pilot (BVLOS, Beyond Visual Line of Sight) and data collection with advanced sensors such as Guideline Geo’s airborne ground radar under the MALÅ GeoDrone brand.
Project partners
Guideline Geo
Provides an airborne ground radar system (GPR) for collecting and interpreting geophysical data. Guideline Geo receives funding of SEK 0.75 million for its participation in the project.
Katla Aero
Develops and delivers the project’s drone platform, designed for high marching speed and long range.
Flypulse
Develops and sells a cloud-based platform for coordination, control and management of a UAV fleet.
LTU
Through the research subject Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at the Department of Systems and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology provides expertise in modeling, simulation and design of control systems for autonomous flying vehicles.
Åsele Business Foundation and Åsele Municipality
Want to contribute to development that will lead to a more sustainable society. The aim of the project is to stimulate, support and drive development and collaboration on electrification of aircraft and drones and through the project increase employment and growth both at the local and regional level.
It is an example of Guideline Geo’s conscious strategy of combining geophysical instruments with different software for analysis, visualization and interpretation on different platforms to create better decision support.
For further information contact:
Anders Abrahamsson, CTO, Guideline Geo AB (publ), tel. +46 70 372 60 09.
Mikael Nolborg, CEO, Guideline Geo AB (publ), tel. +46 70 836 99 00.