Zipline Drones Equipped With Mics To Detect Air Traffic

In order to be able to evade independently, Zipline drones will be equipped with microphones that can detect other air traffic within a radius of 2 km. According to the company, the acoustic detect-and-avoid (DAA) system is the key to the large-scale operation of commercial drone delivery services in complex and uncontrolled airspace worldwide.

360º awareness for Zipline drones

Zipline’s new DAA system is based on a suite of small, lightweight acoustic microphones and signal processors that provide 360º awareness of the environment during flight, at a range of up to 2,000 meters. The system ensures that drones autonomously take other aircraft into account in real-time, and reroute if necessary if there is a threat of conflict. Clouds and fog are no obstacle.

“Our DAA system is the holy grail of Drone Technology,” said Keenan Wyrobek, co-founder and CTO of Zipline. “We have created a system that is agile enough to work within the tightest margins, and can…