Drone Aviation, a manufacturer of tethered drones and lighter-than-air aerostats, reports that its FUSE Tether System was utilized in a first-of-its-kind application of tethered drone technology by the Oro Valley Police Department as part of its security and monitoring efforts at two major high school graduation ceremonies held in southern Arizona in May 2018.
During the two events, the Oro Valley Police Department operated a DJI Matrice 200 drone powered by Drone Aviation’s FUSE Tether System, flying the drone at an altitude of 150 feet for hours at a time.
The drone operated continuously for hours without the need to recharge or swap its batteries since uninterrupted power was provided by the FUSE Tether System’s ground-based generator.
Utilizing the drone’s optical camera, officers were able to monitor the venue’s perimeter and the flow of people and traffic in and out of the school’s facilities in real time.
“In this time of frequent headlines reporting horrifying attacks at schools and public gatherings, we are honored and gratified that our FUSE Tether System was able to enhance the security surrounding these events,” said Jay Nussbaum, Chairman and CEO of Drone Aviation.
“The use of our tethered technology in applications such as this further validates our strategy of adapting our military-grade tethered technology in a system that can be deployed by law enforcement, first responders and commercial users to improve public safety.”
(See a brief demonstration of how easy and simple tether management is utilizing our automatic FUSE Tether Kit for DJI Inspire 2 and M200 drones. Courtesy of Drone Aviation Corp and YouTube. Posted on Aug 28, 2017)
These law enforcement operations followed a recent drone technology demonstration event in Oro Valley where the FUSE Tether System was showcased to numerous state and local law enforcement officials.
The showcase was led by Oro Valley Police Lt. John Teachout, a leading advocate for drone use in law enforcement.
The demonstration focused on highlighting the capabilities of the FUSE Tether System and drones such as the DJI Matrice M200 in applications including venue security, crowd management and incident response, replacing the need to employ expensive helicopters.
“The threats to public safety are changing, demanding new ways to gather situational awareness in real time, and we believe that tethered drones can be a valuable tool in helping protect our communities and the public at large,” said Lt. John Teachout.
With the innovative FUSE Tether System from Drone Aviation, we were able to integrate long-duration drone flight without interruption, significantly enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement and first responders.”
EASY TO USE – UNLIMITED FLIGHT TIME
The FUSE Tether System is powered by a proprietary mix of hardware and software in a customized power pack and an Automated Smart Tension Control Winch Case with 200 feet of tether supporting 110-volt ground power sources such as portable generators.
With the FUSE Tether System, DJI Inspire 2 and M200 users can dramatically and cost-effectively increase drone flight time with uninterrupted power from the ground while benefiting from improved safety.
Safety is enhanced by FUSE’s use of an onboard backup power pack and tether connected to the Company’s proprietary automatic tether tension management system.
FUSE is based on the same military-grade advanced technology utilized in the Company’s tethered products sold to the U.S. Department of Defense.
FUSE Tether System
FUSE is the most cost-effective tethered drone option available because it supports the most widely adopted consumer drone, the DJI Inspire, and allows you to tether it for unlimited and reliable flight time.
The FUSE tether kit allows you to operate from 110v shore power, a Honda 2000i genset or our optional DAC Automobile Adapter that powers the drone directly from your vehicle.
The automatic tether tension management system means that our smart winch will offer better control in stronger winds for flights up to 200 ft.
The FUSE tether kit is not a simple power cable on the ground but rather has continuous power distribution monitoring that can provide a safe landing in the event of a ground power loss by using the vehicle’s onboard battery backup.
FUSE Features Include:
- Unlimited Flight Time
- More reliability and control than free flight
- Fly in stronger winds up to 200 Ft. AGL
- Automatic tether tension management system
- Military adapted sUAS technology
- Most cost-effective Tethered Drone option available
- Operates from 110v shore, DAC automobile adapter or Honda 2000i genset
- On board battery backup on vehicle provides safe landing in case of ground power loss
