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ottobre 26, 2016 - ESA

Satellites to spot drones and guide cyclists

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

A space-age system for detecting drones took home the grand prize in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition, while ESA’s prize went to a smart satnav bicycle bell.

Drones are one of the biggest trends of this year, offering many helpful applications. At the same time, there are increasing safety concerns, with many cases of drones flying too close for comfort to airports and aircraft, including a near-collision over Munich in August. 

In response, #carmineclemente and his team from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, are developing a satellite-based system for early #drone detection and tracking.

It offers continuous coverage over a fixed area by sensors measuring how drones affect satnav signals. The differences between the sensors pinpoint the drones and allow their tracking, revealing the risk of collision with aircraft landing and taking off.

The €10 000 grand prize was presented to the team in Madrid’s Circulo de Bellas Artes last night. In addition, the project is set to receive an extensive package including marketing, consulting and technical assistance, boosted by the UK’s regional prize.

With the technology and a feasibility study already in place, Dr Clemente predicts the product should be on the market within two years.

ESA’s own award for new ideas that can be quickly nurtured into profitable start-ups went to the Blubel Tech company from England for their smart bicycle bell, which guides cyclists simply and intuitively using a mix of sounds and lights.

Cyclists no longer have to worry about getting lost or distracted on busy roads or having to pull out their phone for guidance while cycling. A quick glance at the Blubel on their handlebars will indicate the next turn and the heading to their destination.

Powered by its smartphone satnav app, the bell learns from other cyclists and suggests the fastest, safest and easiest routes. It can also collect data on the routes the cyclist prefers and other aspects to improve its route calculation for the rest of the community.

The #esa prize of €7000 was presented to Blubel by the head of ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office, Frank M. Salzgeber. The company will soon begin working at ESA’s business incubator in Harwell, UK, to commercialise the device.