Nokia and Motorola Solutions have integrated hardware and software in a single ‘out-of-the-box’ 4G/5G drone solution for first responders and emergency services, plus mission-critical industries. It is “AI-enhanced, turnkey [and] automated”, they said. Specifically, Nokia has integrated Motorola Solutions’ CAPE navigational software with its own 4G/5G-connected unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV; drone) solution, badged Nokia Drone Networks, which includes docking and ground control stations, a dual-gimbal camera, associated software and services, plus the drone itself.
The CAPE software adjusts the drone’s path to avoid obstacles, stay within a geofenced area, and adapt to changing terrain altitude. It uses AI to help operators analyze real-time data, according to the press notes, and also integrates into daily workflows – for a “quicker response to active situations and an evidence-grade record of events”. Nokia’s drone-in-a-box system connects via public and private 4G/LTE and 5G networks, and offers beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) remote control. Its gimbal camera features HD video and thermal streaming.
A statement explained: “Dispatching drones ahead of first responders enables early assessment of a situation’s severity, helping to support efficient resource allocation. The new solution enables public safety and mission-critical industries to remotely dispatch drones from one or multiple operation centers at a moment’s notice to assess emergencies and hazards while also receiving AI-powered intelligence that can inform and accelerate decisions to help keep workers, property, and premises safer.”
Both companies said use of drone technology by first responders – ‘drone-as-first-responder’ (DFR) programmes – have improved first-responder safety by providing tactical intelligence, and better coordination, oversight and transparency in operations. The same applies to DFR-style projects in industries like oil-and-gas, ports, utilities, mining, energy, and manufacturing – where the drone solution is often deployed with enterprise-owned private 4G/5G networks. Remote control of UAVs is particularly valuable for “hard-to-reach sites like offshore wind farms”, they said.
They added: “Multiple drone-in-a-box systems can serve as a sustainable alternative to helicopters, significantly reducing carbon emissions.” Motorola Solution has an existing contract with the Chula Vista Police Department in California, which claims the world’s first DFR project, dating back to 2018. Roxana Kennedy, chief of police there, said: “We’ve since flown over 21,000 missions. It has been instrumental in critical life-and-death situations by providing aerial awareness or helping officers de-escalate incidents by delivering real-time, vital information.”
Nokia has major drone supply deals to emergency services groups with Swisscom Broadcast in Switzerland and Citymesh in Belgium. The Swiss setup extends to a network of 300 drones for emergency services and industrial applications; the Belgian deal, which has been seminal for the Finnish firm’s drone push, extends to about 70 drones, and is expanding. Nokia continues to expand its channel activity, signing New York-based Westcon-Comstor (Westcon) in July to distribute its drone-in-a-box solution in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
It is also being sold in the US, where it gained FCC approval at the end of last year, with its DAC and MPW private 4G/5G systems via the likes of Kyndryl, DXC Technology, Future Technologies Venture, Graybar, and Trilogy NextGen, plus via the enterprise solutions units of operators AT&T and Verizon.
Jehan Wickramasuriya, corporate vice president of AI and intelligence platforms at Motorola Solutions, said: “This drone-in-a-box solution furthers our commitment to drone innovation that seamlessly fits within our customers’ current workflows to give those charged with our safety actionable live-stream insights while simplifying evidence collection.”
Stephan Litjens, vice president of enterprise campus edge solutions at Nokia, said: “Together, we are setting technology best practices in drone connectivity and AI. With an open API architecture that facilitates easy integration with third-party applications, and other solutions like Nokia’s MX Grid, Nokia drones-in-a-box and Motorola Solutions’ CAPE software, we are transforming drones into daily helpers for public safety and mission-critical operations.”
