Axon and Fotokite Bring Actively Tethered Autonomous Drones with Livestreaming and Evidence Management to Public Safety Today

Fotokite is the world's only drone permitted by the FAA to be operated by public safety team members without a pilot license

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Axon

Nov 02, 2021, 07:30 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AXON), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, in partnership with Fotokite, a service provider of actively tethered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) solutions, commonly referred to as drones, and public safety software tools, today announced the autonomous Fotokite Sigma UAS complete with wireless livestreaming and evidence management is now commercially available to public safety customers in the US and Canada. For more information on pricing visit: https://www.axon.com/products/axon-air/fotokite

The exclusive partnership between Axon and Fotokite, announced in 2020, changes the way agencies leverage drones for real-time aerial situational awareness. Through Axon's real-time operations platform, Axon Respond, ground operators will have access to real-time streaming video to support effective decision making and improved outcomes. Additionally, with integration with Axon Evidence, Axon's digital evidence management platform, footage can be easily and securely stored and managed, ensuring integrity and availability throughout the chain of custody.

"We are thrilled to bring an actively tethered drone solution to public safety. Whether the use case is traffic control, accident scene management, search and rescue, or routine patrol, users can easily operate the Fotokite Sigma to receive a bird's-eye view of an incident," says Axon CPO and EVP Software, Jeff Kunins. "With seamless connection and integration into Axon Respond — our real-time situational awareness platform — agencies will have better visibility into what's happening in the field."

The Fotokite Sigma can launch, fly, and land with the push of a button—no setup time, calibration, or active piloting required. It is the only UAV system permitted by the FAA to be operated by any professional public safety team member without the need for a pilot license or further authorization. The drone is capable of more than 24-hours of continuous flight time and able to withstand extreme weather conditions to ensure it is ready to operate when and where it is needed.

"The Fotokite Team is proud to work alongside Axon to deliver a solution integrated with situational awareness and evidence management for first responders. Combining Axon's industry-leading Evidence and Respond platforms with autonomous technologies like the Fotokite Sigma helps public safety agencies save lives, serve their communities and stay safe while doing so," says Christopher McCall, Fotokite's CEO. "While the demands on first responders grow in complexity every day, we are grateful to be part of the solution by delivering actionable intelligence at the push of a button."

For information on pricing and availability, contact [email protected] or visit https://www.axon.com/products/axon-air/fotokite

About Fotokite
Fotokite designs and delivers fully autonomous situational awareness products that provide invaluable overview information to first responders and public safety teams. Fotokite technology is used on a daily basis to help manage complex, safety-critical situations in North American and European public safety markets and the company supports their customers from offices in Zurich, Syracuse, and Boulder. Fotokite is backed by MSA Safety Inc., Swisscanto Invest, Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital, Sony Corporation, Qualcomm Ventures, and 360 Capital Partners. Learn more at www.fotokite.com.

About Axon
Axon is a network of devices, apps and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to keep their communities safe. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience with the goal of helping everyone get home safe.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, more than 257,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with the Axon Network of devices, apps and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737. Axon is a global company with headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. and global software engineering hub in Seattle, Wash., as well as additional offices in Australia, Canada, Finland, Vietnam, the UK and the Netherlands.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc., Fotokite is a trademark of Perspective Robotics AG, Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, Sony is a trademark of Sony Corporation and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. Axon, Axon Air, Axon Evidence, Axon Network and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

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