Trimble announced this week that Volatus Aerospace Inc. has integrated the Trimble PX-1 RTX solution into its commercial delivery drone service, which they say will help them to achieve accurate and robust positioning and heading. They continue to note that the integration will provide Volatus’ clients with a turnkey solution for highly-accurate aerial data acquisition and fully-remote drone operations in real-world missions, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

The PX-1 RTX, which is produced by Trimble Applanix, utilizes both Trimble’s CenterPoint RTX corrections along with GNSS-inertial hardware in order to deliver real-time, centimeter-level positioning and precise inertial-derived true heading measurements. Trimble says in their release of the news that the technology “This technology reduces operational risks associated with poor sensor performance or magnetic interference by providing enhanced positioning redundancy.”

Greg Colacitti, Volatus COO, noted in a statement that the company coducts daily deliveries of medical supplies from Edmonton International Airport to Montana First Nations Clinic, and in doing so they must meet strict guidelines addressing entry and exit, altitude and speed, and communication and remote ID when taking off and landing from Edmonton International Airport. The flight corridor that was approved by Transport Canada and Nav Canada requires them to precisely land and takeoff while remaining at 50-feet altitude when crossing airplane arrival routes.

This, of course, requires cutting-edge technologies to maintain that precise positioning, which is where the Trimble PX-1 RTX comes in. They say that the capabilities of the system “address crucial accuracy challenges for takeoff and landing, while supporting an exact flight altitude and positioning within the flight corridor.”

“Integrating Trimble’s PX-1 RTX technology into our Canary delivery drone system has been a game changer. The enhanced positional accuracy within tightly defined delivery zones significantly strengthens the safety case for our operations and further supports the reliability and scalability of our service,” said Colcacitti in his statement.

“Integrating the Trimble PX-1 RTX into its first commercial application marks a significant milestone for both Trimble and the drone delivery industry,” added Joe Hutton, director, inertial technology and airborne solutions, Trimble, in a statement. “The PX-1 RTX is changing commercial drone package delivery by providing greater precision and reliability, which are essential for reducing costs, minimizing environmental impact, increasing operational efficiencies and enhancing safety.”

Source: Trimble