Iris Automation announces Casia, the first turnkey collision-avoidance solution for the commercial drone industry

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iris Automation, an artificial intelligence and safety avionics company, today announced the launch of Casia – the first commercially available computer vision detect-and-avoid solution to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for autonomous vehicles.

For the first time, there's a system that allows an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to truly understand the aviation environment around it as if a pilot were on board. Casia detects other aircraft, uses machine learning to classify them, makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the vehicle, and triggers automated maneuvers to avoid collisions.

Casia is a combination of both hardware and software that's ultra lightweight, low power and small in size. It comprises sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms and software packaged in a self-contained supercomputer that works with a machine vision camera.

"Casia is the critical piece our industry has been dreaming about for years – finally allowing us to use drones to their full commercial potential," said Iris Automation CEO Alexander Harmsen. "By unlocking BVLOS flight with Casia, operators all over the world will be able to use their aircraft in every conceivable scenario."

The Casia technology has been extensively tested, with 7,000+ real-world test flights and mid-air collision scenarios – flying various manned aircraft against UAS – and over 40,000 encounters in simulation. Casia also ran a successful early adopter program with more than 30 participating beta customers from five countries.

Iris Automation is working directly with regulators around the world to make drones safer and more accessible, ensuring Casia achieves the highest levels of safety for national airspace use. With the Casia launch, Iris Automation will also offer customers regulatory support for Part 107 waiver writing and regulatory approval processes to secure the necessary permissions for their unique UAS operations.

Casia is available now. For more information, visit www.irisonboard.com/casia

Photos and video available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D4WOowO_72KNgHEBO-tIXxCPPcD3mY7R

About Iris Automation
Iris Automation is building an AI-based collision avoidance system that helps drones see the world how pilots do. By enabling Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to fly Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS), Iris is the critical missing piece that takes commercial drone operations from theoretical to functional. The company is based in San Francisco and is led by a team with experience at NASA, Boeing, and Nvidia, including PhDs in computer vision. Iris is a key partner on multiple FAA UAS Integration Pilot Programs, a participant of NASA's Unmanned Traffic Management program and a participant of Transport Canada's BVLOS Technology Demonstration Program. For more information, visit www.irisonboard.com

SOURCE Iris Automation