Avansig, Skysense develop autonomous indoor surveillance drone

Flying security patrol robots might seem like technology from a sci-fi movie, but Avansig and Skysense—two European companies—are working to turn the futuristic concept into a reality.

An indoor autonomous surveillance drone is being developed through a partnership between Skysense—a Berlin-based manufacturer of autonomous drone-charging stations—and Avansig—a Spanish information and communications technology company. The system is a project for Prosegur, a global security company based in Spain.

According to Avansig, its drone pushes the boundaries of modern commercial drone applications. Using closed-circuit television and Skysense’s autonomous drone-charging technology, Prosegur’s surveillance drone can execute a patrol route and land on the Skysense pad to recharge its batteries. During surveillance patrols, the drone records and streams real-time video, sending alerts to a central station when potential security threats or breaches are detected.

“Drones work best in surveillance applications and are more cost effective,” said David Trillo, Avansig CEO. “You don’t need to install so many cameras, which reduces the cost.”

Skysense’s lightweight and fast-charging station eliminates the need for battery removal or manual charging whenever a drone battery runs out. The company’s technology earlier this year won the Pioneers ’18 Honda Challenge and has attracted the interest of Qualcomm and NASA.

“We realized we needed a charging partner at the beginning of the project because we want the drone to work completely unattended,” Trillo said. “We were in contact with other companies, but we chose Skysense because we felt that their solution was more mature. It works, it’s reliable, and it’s simple. Also, the charging time is short.”

Skysense believes the implications of successfully developing an autonomous security drone are significant in terms of commercial applications, especially for the security and surveillance industry. The drones could perform ongoing persistent missions, charge themselves and quickly resume their duties as 24/7 drone guards for indoor surveillance, facilities patrols and border safety.