Detect and avoid (DAA) is the ability of an uncrewed aircraft to see other traffic and obstacles and stay clear of them, the job a pilot does by looking out of the window. It is a key enabler for operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and for integrating drones into shared airspace.
Sensing methods
Method
Detects
Strengths
Limits
Cooperative (ADS-B In, transponder, FLARM)
Aircraft that broadcast their position
Long range, precise identity
Misses non-equipped traffic
Radar
Any aircraft and many obstacles
Works day and night, through haze
Mass, power, cost
Electro-optical / infrared cameras
Aircraft and obstacles in view
Light, passive, high resolution
Weather and light dependent
Ground-based surveillance
Traffic around a defined area
No equipment on board
Fixed coverage
Most solutions combine several methods. Cooperative traffic is received through ADS-B equipment.
Key specifications
Detection range for a given target size, and the field of regard (horizontal and vertical coverage).
Track accuracy and update rate.
False alarm rate and missed detection rate.
Avoidance logic: alerts to a remote pilot, or automatic manoeuvres through the flight controller.
Standards: ASTM F3442 for small UAS DAA performance, and RTCA DO-365 and DO-366 for larger UAS.
Beyond visual line of sight, the remote pilot cannot see other aircraft. Regulators require an equivalent means to detect and avoid traffic, which can be onboard sensors, ground-based surveillance, airspace measures or a combination.
Is ADS-B enough for detect and avoid?
No, on its own. ADS-B only shows aircraft that broadcast their position; many light aircraft, helicopters and other drones do not. Non-cooperative sensors such as radar or cameras cover that traffic.
What standards apply to drone DAA systems?
ASTM F3442 defines DAA performance for small UAS. RTCA DO-365 and DO-366 cover DAA systems and air-to-air radar for larger UAS. Regulators reference these standards in their approvals.
Honeywell Aerospace presents results from demonstrations of celestial-, vision- and magnetic-aided navigation that support inertial systems when GNSS signals are lost. Its star-tracker based system matches GNSS-INS performance under…
Honeywell Aerospace offers the HGuide o480, a 26-gram INS/GNSS navigator for attritable military platforms and industrial uses. The unit pairs an IMU and a GNSS receiver with AIM+ anti-jamming, and it is available globally without export…
The INS-NV is a new programmable platform from Inertial Labs, which belongs to VIAVI, and it pairs an NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module with an inertial navigation system and an AHRS. Developers of alternative PNT and visual navigation systems…
Featured
FeaturedCollision avoidance
FeaturedCollision avoidance
FeaturedCollision avoidance
FeaturedCollision avoidance
FeaturedCollision avoidance
FeaturedCollision avoidance
