Commercial UAV Expo 2018 showcased the numerous ways that drones are making a difference in the public safety sector while also highlighting specific pieces of technology that are enabling these differences. However, many of these solutions require public safety officials to assemble the relevant components into something that works for their needs or department, and that can be a challenge for many different reasons. The AVOC (Aerial Vehicle Operations Center) for sUAS Operations not only pulls all of this technology into a single hub but does so in a way that is specifically designed for public safety and field sUAS missions requiring on-site support for any sUAS mission. To watch a video introduction of the AVOC, click here.

On full display at the Expo, attendees were able to walk through the ACOC to get a better sense of how it's able to make such a difference for public safety officials. The unit that has been fitted with all sorts of technology tools as well as very practical field requirements that public safety officials need and utilize for countless different situations. The items in the unit include:

  • Power by shore or generator;

  • Battery charging station

  • 2 computer systems for data processing

  • Cradlepoint WiFi access system

  • Weather station / monitor

  • Storage for UAVs

  • FoxFury lights

  • Red light outfitted for night operations

  • Full first aid station

  • Other safety equipment (Vests, Hoodman landing pads, hard hats, etc.

The AVOC helps increase project productivity by enabling public safety officials to bring their command center with them, allowing data processing on-site while remote pilots continue to collect data. Visionaries and leaders from across the drone industry have seen and recognized the potential difference the AVOC can make, and that includes officials from the FAA.

James Spear, Primary Instructor at Sundance Media Group, was kind enough to provide us with a tour of the AVOC to get a better understanding of how all the pieces of technology in it are integrated and what kind of a difference that can make in public safety and field sUAS missions. Watch him explain what the computer center is used for, how their battery recharging system works, talk through what's in their safety center and much more.