GPS-free, beyond the visual line of sight navigation for logistics drones in urban environments

Project Information

AUTOFLY

Grant agreement ID: 190185259

DOI 10.3030/190185259

Project closed

EC signature date 31 August 2022

Start date 1 April 2022

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost € 3 527 060,00

EU contribution € 2 456 377,00

Coordinated by

SIGHTEC ISRAEL LTD
Israel

Project description

Delivery drones with situational awareness capabilities

The increasing use of drones in various fields like delivery and inspection highlights the need for situational awareness capabilities. The EU-funded AUTOFLY project aims to address this need by developing a unique platform designed by Sightec that enables drones to perform complex tasks autonomously. The platform utilises advanced algorithms for vision-based orientation and navigation, real-time detection and tracking, visual positioning and autonomous inspection. It also allows for constant communication and real-time broadcast of analytics to mission control while using minimal network bandwidth, beyond line of sight and without GPS. By cross-referencing map data with visually observed landmarks, known waypoints, and visible obstacles and hazards, the system enables autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles to navigate like human pilots.

Objective

Sightec offers a unique platform based on cutting-edge algorithms which can provide vision-based orientation and navigation, Real-time Detection & Tracking, Visual Positioning and Autonomous Inspection. Sightec analytics performed on edge devices support a novel approach for determining global self-position. Our system enables constant communication and real-time broadcast of analytics to mission control, while using minimal network bandwidth. With Sightec, autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles to navigate as human pilots do, by cross-referencing map data with visually observed landmarks, known waypoints, and visible obstacles and hazards. Sightec enables drones to autonomously perform complex tasks that are otherwise impossible with currently available technology. In February 2021, our capabilities were demonstrated through a successful flight of a delivery drone across five routes in southern Israel, beyond line-of-sight and without the use of GPS.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics › autonomous robots › drones

Keywords

• Navigation
• guidance
• control and tracking
• Machine learning
• statistical data processing and
• beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) navigation
• urban logistics drones
• last mile logistics
• drone navigation

Programme(s)

• HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
• HORIZON.3.1.2 - The Accelerator

Topic(s)

• HORIZON-EIC-2021-ACCELERATORCHALLENGES-01-02 - Green Deal innovations for the Economic Recovery

Call for proposal

HORIZON-EIC-2021-ACCELERATORCHALLENGES-01

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-EIC-ACC-BF - HORIZON EIC Accelerator Blended Finance

Coordinator

SIGHTEC ISRAEL LTD

• Net EU contribution: € 2 456 377,00
• Address: YIGAL ALON 94 ; 6789139 TEL AVIV-JAFFA ; Israel
• SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes:
  Activity type
  Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Activity type: Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Total cost: € 3 527 060,00