Nokia has released a cellular-connected drone solution for enterprises to run remote security and maintenance inspections of sites and equipment. It claims it is the first CE-certified cellular drone solution, meeting European health, safety, and environmental protection standards. It works with public and private LTE and 5G networks, and is being offered with Nokia’s MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) bundle for enterprises.
It is pitched for public safety agencies, smart cities operations, manufacturing and construction companies, energy and utilities groups, and the defense sector. The New York Power Authority has tested the solution over private LTE, said Nokia. The Finnish firm has called it a “turnkey automated… drone-in-a-box” solution. It comprises a drone, docking station, dual gimbal camera, and edge cloud processing; the last is supplied with the MXIE platform.
A statement said: “Using cellular… offers higher data rates and lower latency enabling more data to be streamed than over Wi-Fi. Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations with real-time kinetic (RTK) positioning improves situational awareness. Dual modem connectivity allows Nokia drones to simultaneously connect to multiple networks, complying with system redundancy that is commonly required by aviation regulatory bodies.”
The docking station enables 24/7 remote drone operations and charging, said Nokia. It provides protection, as well, to the drone and payload, including sensors and cameras, from external hazards and harsh weather. The solution has an open API framework for integration of third-party applications and customization. Nokia’s drones offer 50 minutes of flight time and a 30 kilometre range.
Thomas Eder, head of embedded wireless solutions at Nokia, said: “Our mission is to reshape the industrial UAV market, providing enhanced situational awareness to aid search and rescue, surveillance, and other UAV operations in a wide variety of industries. [This solution] has been designed to comply with the remote operation requirements of aviation regulatory bodies such as EASA in Europe and FAA in the US.
“This will help us address growing market demands as a turnkey provider with a solution designed and produced in Europe. The unique feature set enabling the integration of Nokia drones with third-party applications will aid the transformation of the drones, allowing them to be used as a flying data collection platform leveraging reliable 4G and 5G edge cloud connectivity.”
