The approval of Airobotics’s Elsight-embedded unmanned aircraft by the US FAA is a massive validation of the Aussie-listed firm’s technology and an instant boost into a multi-billion dollar sector.

 Critical connectivity technology company Elsight (ASX:ELS) says the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a special class airworthiness criteria for Airobotics’s unmanned aircraft (UA).

Airobotic’s Model OPTIMUS1-EX unmanned aircraft (UA) is embedded with Elsight’s ‘Halo’ technology for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) connection capability.

The approval today marks a pivotal milestone following Airobotics’ application to the FAA in September 2019. Airobotics is now amongst the first in the world to have been issued the special class airworthiness criteria , which puts them one step closer towards receiving the highly sought after FAA TC (Type Certificate).

“This is a major step forward for Airobotics in particular, and for the drone industry in general,” Elsight CEO, Yoav Amitai said.

“Taking steps towards type certification shows Airobotics’ faith in their drone, and the Special Class Airworthiness by the FAA shows that the regulators are coming around to the position that drones are a part of the future,” he added.

Lucrative market

Elsight’s partnership with Airobotics further validates the company’s pursuit of the ‘Design Win’ strategy, with Halo embedded as a critical component in the OPTIMUS 1-EX UA.

The Halo technology provides a robust connectivity solution for command-and-control redundancy certification, critical and secure data transmission, and uninterrupted connectivity.

Having BVLOS capability enables remote UAV applications such as inspection, surveying & mapping, security and emergency response, stockpile management and haul road optimisation.

This capability could have multiple applications across a number of key industries such as Oil & Gas, Mining, Infrastructure, Industrial Facilities and many others.

It will also help Airobotics cement its leading position in the lucrative civil security market.

“We’re proud that Airobotics’ has chosen the Elsight Halo as their connectivity solution, their moving towards Type Certification with the Halo onboard is a vote of confidence in Elsight and in the Halo,” said Amitai.

The development today follows Elsight’s partnership with DroneUp, a leading US based supplier that works directly with some of the world’s largest retail and logistics groups.

In January, Elsight received the first commercial order from DroneUp for the Halo platform.

This article was developed in collaboration with Elsight, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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