GA-ASI demonstrates Sense and Avoid System on Predator B

Predator B demonstrates ability to automatically avoid air traffic - 11/26/2014 - Flight Global

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has come a step closer to developing a viable sense and avoid (SAA) system for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), a major requirement for UAVs to share the US national airspace with manned aircraft.
GA recently announced it has tested a proof-of-concept SAA system in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration and Honeywell. It was the first successful test of the FAA’s airborne collision avoidance system for unmanned aircraft.
The company also has completed the first flight tests of a prototype air-to-air radar called due regard radar (DRR) that enables UAVs to detect and avoid other aircraft in flight and is the first of its kind designed specifically for a remotely piloted aircraft.

GA-ASI advances Sense and Avoid system for UAVs - UPI.com

"Our latest Sense and Avoid test represents a major step forward for integrating RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) safely into domestic and international airspace," said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. "Our proof-of-concept SAA system is now functional and ready for extensive flight testing with the FAA, NASA, and our industry partners."
GA-ASI said its functional flight test of its SAA system -- which includes automatic collision avoidance and a sensor fusion capability to give an on-ground UAV pilot a picture of air traffic -- was conducted in September in California using a Predator B.
DRR testing occurred at various locations across Southern California onboard a Beechcraft King Air in an attempt to detect and track multiple test aircraft across "the full Field-of-Regard, including General Aviation aircraft beyond 10 miles," the company said. "The tests are the first in an extensive flight test campaign designed to develop the Engineering Development Model DRR fully and make it ready for flight testing on Predator B."

Frank Pace: General Atomics Sense and Avoid System Ready for Flight Tests | ExecutiveBiz

The company also completed the flight tests of the Due Regard Radar air-to-air radar for SAA. GA-ASI’s SAA system incorporates automatic collision avoidance and a sensor fusion system for the ground pilot to visualize traffic around the aircraft. General Atomics is also working with NASA to integrate the SAA system into NASA’s Ikhana Predator B system.

Aviation authorities brief industry this fall on UAV sense-and-avoid technologies

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) met with industry to discuss UAV sense-and-avoid technologies on 28 and 29 Oct. 2014 at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.
 ...
Committee members particularly were interested in technologies under development in industry that can reduce the cost, size, weight, and power for onboard detection of aircraft that not communicating with air traffic control authorities, such as radar, light detection and ranging (lidar), or other sensor technologies.

GA-ASI tests ABSAA system and Due Regard Radar - IHS Jane's 360

Previously:

spendergast: US Army to Install Ground-Based Sense and Avoid Radar at 5 Bases to support UAV Ops
spendergast: NAVAIR wants sense and avoid radar for MQ-4C - white paper due 12/18
spendergast: MQ-4C Triton to Wait Until 2020 for Sense and Avoid or Due Regard
spendergast: GA-ASI Successfully Tests SAA System Components Aboard Predator B

The company also completed the flight tests of the Due Regard Radar air-to-air radar for SAA.
GA-ASI’s SAA system incorporates automatic collision avoidance and a sensor fusion system for the ground pilot to visualize traffic around the aircraft.
General Atomics is also working with NASA to integrate the SAA system into NASA’s Ikhana Predator B system.
- See more at: http://blog.executivebiz.com/2014/11/frank-pace-general-atomics-sense-and-avoid-system-ready-for-flight-tests/#sthash.qzigKjTr.dpuf