Road to Using Drones and Rovers on Mars Begins on Active Volcano in Italy
02 August 2022 - 9:30PM
Skypersonic, which in 2021 signed a five-year contract with NASA to
provide drone and rover software, hardware and support to NASA’s
simulated Mars mission, has validated its software and hardware on
Mt. Etna, an active volcano in Sicily where the landscape is
similar to Martian geology.
Skypersonic’s “Skycopter” drone can be piloted virtually
anywhere, from virtually anywhere, as the Skypersonic team
demonstrated on Mt. Etna during a 15-day test. Using Skypersonic’s
ground-breaking Long Range Real-Time Remote Piloting System, the
drone and rover on the active volcano in Italy were controlled by
personnel in Houston, Texas, in real time. Whereas most drones
cannot be piloted without connecting to the GPS network, Skycopter
uses technology that is able to control and track the drone in
locations – such as Mars – where GPS is not available.
“This was a grueling test that we passed with flying colors,”
said Skypersonic CEO Giuseppe Santangelo. “We look forward to the
ultimate test – on Earth, at least – when our technology will be
used during NASA’s upcoming yearlong simulated Mars mission. We are
confident of also passing this test. During the simulated Mars
mission, four crew members living and working in a
1,700-square-foot module on Earth, called Mars Dune Alpha, will
carry out a series of missions – including remotely guided
exploration and collection of specimens from rugged terrain
elsewhere on Earth, up to thousands of miles away.”
The results of the successful test on Sicily’s active volcano –
which included the collection of samples by the rover, an essential
capability for Martian robotic exploration – were demonstrated to
Italian media during a July press conference on Mt. Etna near the
Catania Astrophysical Observatory. On hand for the demonstration
were Santangelo and Dr. Salvatore Caffo, executive volcanologist at
Etna Park. Once again, the pilot was in Houston. The project was a
collaboration between Skypersonic, the University of Turin and Etna
Park.
About SkypersonicHeadquartered in Detroit with
a European office in Turin, Italy, Skypersonic is a leader in the
use of drones for industrial inspections and first response
emergency situations, as well as in “Remotely Flying Drones
Anywhere™” via its ground-breaking Long Range Real-Time Remote
Piloting System. Skypersonic’s flagship is the Skycopter: a drone
with a tiltable video camera that is designed to work in extreme
conditions and ultra-tight spaces. It is enclosed and protected by
an external aerodynamic, ultra-light and ultra-resistant cage to
ensure safety and avoid damage to inspected structures and to the
airframe itself. It is also fitted with an ultra-bright 360° LED
lighting system for applications in complete darkness, and sensors
to detect gases and radiation can also be added. Skycopter uses
Skyloc technology: a real-time location and monitoring system able
to control and track with extremely high accuracy the movements of
the drone in indoor scenarios or where GPS is not available.
Skypersonic also invented the first-ever worldwide civil real-time
remote piloting system that allows piloting in FPV (first-person
view) any drone (not just the Skycopter) located anywhere from a
generic internet station located anywhere.
About Red Cat HoldingsRed Cat Holdings is a
publicly traded company (NASDAQ: RCAT) that provides drone
products, technologies and services to the fastest-growing market
segments in the drone industry through four operating subsidiaries:
Skypersonic (providing drones for industrial inspections and first
response emergencies that can be piloted from anywhere in the
world), Teal Drones (military-grade drones), Fat Shark (headsets
for FPV drones that allow for an incredibly immersive experience)
and Rotor Riot (a leader in providing product, services and support
to the high-performance drone market).
Contact: Anthony Priwerapriwer@daltonagency.com+1
615-515-4891
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