Streamlining drone operations: Development of world’s first platform for certified aerials
Aviation|Dual Use
2016 - 2017
Dublin, Ireland
Airmap AP|Firebase|Google API|React|React Native
Back-end Development|Cloud Solutions|Mobile App Development
The Client
Skytango, led by Emmy-winning founder Steven Flynn, is a cloud-based platform designed for managing and streamlining certified aerial operations. They cater to businesses, training organizations, and hobbyists alike, facilitating communication, ensuring H&S compliance, and promoting best practices for drone pilots. The platform offers functionalities like real-time mapping, job management, and compliance tracking.
In partnership with Vodafone Ireland, Skytango has delivered critical diabetes medicine by drone to the Aran Islands. This achievement showcased the potential of drones for delivering essential supplies, especially in remote areas or during bad weather.
Prior to the groundbreaking medicine delivery, Skytango conducted over 100 test flights to prioritize safety, reliability, and adherence to regulations.
Client Achievements:
Credit: Drone entrepreneur Steven Flynn. Photo credit: Andrew Downes / Xposure
Pictured (l-r) are SkyTango’s CEO and co-founder Steven Flynn, NDRC’s CEO Ben Hurley, co-founder of SkyTango Susan Talbot and NDRC’s commercial director Gary Leyden – image via Shane O’Neill Photography.)
The Challenge
Market research conducted by Ralabs revealed a critical gap in existing drone solutions. While numerous applications focused on drone control, none offered a platform for managing work, acquiring orders, and streamlining pre-flight preparation.
Drone pilots expressed a strong need for a user-friendly, field-ready application that provided them with crucial pre-flight information. This information included location data, real-time weather updates, and obstacle alerts to ensure safe and informed flight operations.
What Was Done
Ralabs started the project with a thorough market research phase. After identifying the needs of drone pilots, we developed a mobile application tailored for tablet use in both landscape and portrait modes. The app integrated various functionalities:
- Real-time geolocation tracking and geofencing to alert pilots about restricted areas.
- A job management system that interfaces with a web platform for creating and managing tasks.
- Checklist features for pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight operations, ensuring compliance with safety and legal standards.
Implemented features
The app integrates AirMap service to verify airspace legality, providing real-time data on flight restrictions, air traffic releases, and location-specific documentation.
The app seamlessly integrates with Skytango’s backend servers through secure API calls, allowing pilots to view and manage licenses, insurance, and compliance records in a centralized location.
Drone operators can log in and fill in the profile with their license, insurance, drones types, and pending locations. They also get all their data about flight restrictions, air traffic releases, any documents that are needed to fly in that area, weather forecasts and map.
Provides crucial location data and real-time weather updates for pre-flight planning and in-flight operations.
Facilitates backend functionalities and data management.
Offers diverse map options for superior situational awareness.
Additional features
- The app facilitates the collection of aerial data (videos, photos, and surveys) with automatic location tagging. It offers the option for local device storage or cloud upload for flexibility.
- Utilizing GPS location data and pre-defined geofence boundaries, the app warns pilots when entering restricted airspace, promoting safety and adherence to regulations.
- Work Management Feature allows pilots to manage their work schedules, receive orders directly from clients, and communicate with them through the application.
- Clients can search for qualified drone pilots on a real-time map based on their location.
Project Management
Ensuring the project remained efficient and responsive to evolving requirements throughout development.
Two-week sprints, allowing for iterative development and quick adaptation to changing requirements.
Regular planning and retrospective meetings ensured continuous improvement and alignment with project goals.
Results
Skytango's mobile app played a central role in the world's first drone delivery of diabetes medicine by Vodafone Ireland. The app facilitated a 21.7 km flight from Connemara Airport to Inis Mór, Aran Islands. The return leg was slightly shorter, covering a total distance of 21.6 km. Read more
The app supported a round-trip delivery exceeding 43 km, using a Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift drone, all on a single battery charge
This pioneering trial marks a significant step forward for drone technology in improving healthcare access in remote regions. It paves the way for further research into drone corridor planning and broader use of drone-based logistics for essential medical supplies
The flight's successful use of Vodafone Ireland's IoT network allowed real-time data exchange, ensuring regulatory compliance. Long-range flights can potentially be mapped using existing radio frequency networks, opening doors for wider adoption of drone-based medical supply deliveries
Real-time data integration (AirMap, Google Weather) within the app ensured airspace awareness and weather updates, contributing to a safe and compliant flight adhering to aviation regulations
Tech Stack
Daniel
Head of Engineering at Ralabs
Overcome Drone Management Challenges
Reduce pre-flight preparation time, improve communication, and gain real-time data