Col8 is proud to join with partner organisations EGS-Nationwide and Bristol is Open to leverage our unique capabilities to demonstrate a system that live monitors UAV activities across a large section of Bristol. The aim is to assess the frequency and type of drone incursions to get a better understanding about how we can best use the technology to protect people and infrastructure.
The vision of how Col8's technology can merge with our partners capabilities include being able to use the drone detection sensor network integrated in to a city wide network to use assets like CCTV to pinpoint unauthorised flights and potentially the actual pilot. This kind of benefit is clear, during the 2018 Gatwick airport disruption nearly £459,000 was spent on policing which resulted in not finding the culprits.
The drone detection technology supplied by EGS-Nationwide is simple to install with the added benefit of not adding additional radio frequencies in to the areas they are fitted (for those that might be concerned about more sensors being installed around the city). These then communicate back to a central system where platforms like Col8 bring this information together with wider technologies like cameras or additional sensors.
A massive thank you to Select Electric (pictured here) for their help and support to get the equipment installed.
Drones or more accurately Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) have been nothing short of a revolution in all areas, from capturing never before seen video / photos right through to delivering parcels. These legitimate uses are sometimes overshadowed by the potential of what else they can do, like spying on unsuspecting people and the potential for terrorism. With high profile instances like the massive disruption to air travel around Gatwick at the end of 2018 something that has become obvious is we need to get better knowledge of what is flying around.
Detecting and tracking UAV's is the first part of the equation, once we have better knowledge of how many there are we can then build a better picture on how to tackle the issue of unauthorised flights. This will become paramount if the future of deliveries takes to the skies and we need to ensure legitimate traffic is kept safe.
What are the current regulations on flying a UAV around a city like Bristol?
Consumer drones (classed as those that weigh under 20kg) must be flown no higher than 400 feet (120 metres), and be kept at least 50 metres away from people and private property, and 150 metres from congested areas and organised open-air assemblies of more than 1,000 people.
Col8 is a leading video data management platform that brings together sources of information to make video more powerful.
EGS-Nationwide is a security management company delivering capabilities to key organisations like airports, prisons, media and sports arenas.
Bristol is Open is formed by Bristol City Council and the University of Bristol to deliver a platform on which the latest smarter cities technology can be developed.
Over the coming months we will bring you updates about how this technology is developing and an assessment of the activity across the city. We don't want to give to much away but I will say that the first incursion of a UAV in a densely populated area of the city happened in less than 25 minutes of the technology being installed!