ROME — NUAIR and efforts at the New York UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome have validated the drone parachute recovery system by AVSS.

The validation of the Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) system for the DJI M200 series means it is “compliant with industry standards,” NUAIR said in a July 7 news release.

AVSS is based in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Syracuse–based NUAIR is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research. 

The parachute recovery system (PRS-M200) is a safety product for unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS) — commonly referred to has drones — which automatically deploys a parachute if the drone malfunctions in the air. This is the third parachute standard validation performed by NUAIR and the first for the DJI M200 series, “advancing the potential” for commercial-drone package delivery and routine flights over people.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently prohibits most drones from flying directly over people. Professional drone operators can apply for a waiver from that restriction if they can demonstrate they have “robust” safety mitigations in place, including a validated parachute system.

About the safety system

The drone-safety system developed by AVSS is not just a parachute, but a combination of hardware, software, and the parachute system. Its product was developed with a “plug and play” mentality so that anyone with a DJI Matrice 200 series drone (M200, M210m, M210 RTK: V1 & V2) can purchase the AVSS product, “plug it into their drone and start flying,” NUAIR said. 

In the event of a drone malfunction in the air, the system will automatically cut power to the drone, deploy its parachute, and allow the aircraft to descend slowly from the sky, as NUAIR explains it. This safety system “significantly decreases” the potential of harm to people or property on the ground and “reduces the risk of damage” to the drone itself. Additionally, the PRS-M200 has a Parachute Pod, which means the end-users do not have to ship the parachute for repacking and can complete a quick swap in the field.

“When preparing for this complex, strenuous parachute standard validation, we knew that we needed to find a third-party testing partner that deeply understood the standard and testing procedures,” Josh Boudreau, chief technology officer at AVSS, said. “After initial conversations with a few potential third-party test sites, it was clear that the team at NUAIR and the New York UAS test site were knowledgeable, helpful, and pragmatic. Since deciding to select NUAIR as a test site partner, they have been quick to respond to our questions and have exceeded our expectations in terms of customer service. We believe the New York UAS test site has set the gold standard for test sites and would highly recommend any company looking to complete their third-party testing to contact the NUAIR team.”

NUAIR, which manages the FAA-designated New York UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, put the AVSS product through 45 functionality tests across five different failure scenarios. The tests were successful, “proving that the AVSS product complies” with the ASTM International standard specification for small UAS parachutes, allowing AVSS to fulfill its presales for this product that were dependent on this safety validation, NUAIR explained.

ASTM International is headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, per its website. 

“This whole industry is based around safety,” Tony Basile, NUAIR COO said. “Unlocking the full capabilities of commercial-drone use is dependent on the continued development of these safety standards and having a place where companies can have their product validated to those standards. I was happy to work with Josh and the AVSS crew early on to make sure they knew what was expected of them and their product for multiple days of testing, helping to [ensure] a positive outcome.”

“Oneida County’s UAS test site continues to be a place where collaboration leads to unparalleled industry advancement,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. said. “Partnerships like the one fostered by NUAIR and AVSS are forging the future of commercial drone package delivery and placing Central New York on the global forefront.” 

The ASTM consensus standard was developed by industry stakeholders as well as representatives from the FAA in late 2018 after more than one year of work. 

The completion of the ASTM F3322-18 testing with NUAIR — along with the required engineering analysis — has also been acknowledged by Transport Canada as a “means of compliance” for the DJI M200 series for operations over people under the Transport Canada RPAS Safety Assurance declaration for modified drones, per the NUAIR release.