CIVSEC 2018 will host the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems major conference, “Drones in Civil Security”, on Thursday May 3, offering a snapshot of the development of drone and Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) use by law enforcement and public safety agencies in the pursuit of public safety and security.
Drones and Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are no longer the preserve of military operators and backyard enthusiasts: they are entering commercial service in roles as diverse as pizza delivery, geospatial survey, disaster relief and power line inspection.
There are now more than 7300 remote pilot licence holders in Australia, with a 65% increase in 2017 alone. The same period saw a 70% increase in RPAS commercial operating certificates, with nearly 1300 operators now certified. The growth has prompted creation of a dedicated RPAS branch within the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, with a workforce of 22 people dedicated to the safety and regulation of drone operations.
CIVSEC 2018 will provide a critical update of the state of RPAS operations, development and security in Australia, through the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems (AAUS) major conference, “Drones in Civil Security”.
AAUS Executive Director Greg Tyrrell said the Drones in Civil Security conference will include updates on the use of drones for border protection, policing, emergency response and firefighting, and new information on regulatory considerations, security threats and counter drone technology.
“The conference will address the utility of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) and other unmanned and autonomous systems in the security domain, including regulatory and communications/cyber issues for operators,” he said.
Speakers will include regulators, law enforcement agencies, technology developers and commercial drone operators.
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority Branch Manager of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, Luke Gumley, will talk on considerations for drone operations used in the national interest.
- General Atomics Regional Director of Indo-Pacific, Ken Loving, will present on the use of the company’s Predator B aircraft in the United States to provide imagery and intelligence of hurricane and flood-hit areas for the US Geological Survey and Army Corps of Engineers, and producing mapping of flood extents and levee status.
- John Morrison, from Australian RPAS operator Morrison Aerial Robotics will describe the use of quadcopter drones in damage assessment after Cyclone Debbie and development of drone detection systems at Parklea Prison for Corrective Services New South Wales.
- Counter drone systems will also be part of the conference, with EPE’s Dean Dickson presenting on the MESMER™ Counter Drone Solution, which allows users (either autonomously or with a person in the loop) to stop, redirect, land, or take total control of a target drone.
“With greater understanding of the utility of RPAs we are seeing new uses for the technology surfacing almost daily,” Greg Tyrrell said. “The Drones in Civil Security conference will show how the industry is working on growing and developing appropriate RPAS capability within the confines of regulation and society to help public safety and law enforcement agencies work more effectively.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the latest issues, technologies and strategies in both the use of drone technology, and counter-drone strategies to preserve public safety and security.
