Iris Automation

Iris Automation is a pioneer in developing collision avoidance technology for drones and aircraft. The company's flagship product, Casia, is a detect-and-avoid (DAA) system that enables uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect and avoid other aircraft, both cooperative (transmitting their location) and non-cooperative. Casia uses AI-based computer vision technology to provide real-time airspace awareness, allowing drones to safely navigate increasingly congested airspaces.

Iris Automation offers Casia in two configurations - an onboard system that runs on the aircraft and a ground-based system called Casia G. The onboard Casia provides a 360-degree radial field of view, while Casia G establishes a zone of monitored airspace ideal for operations from fixed or temporary locations. Both versions integrate with autopilot systems to enable automated avoidance maneuvers.

In March 2022, Iris Automation received an FAA waiver allowing autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights using only Casia for air risk mitigation, without requiring visual observers. This marked a significant milestone in advancing BVLOS drone operations.

In October 2023, Iris Automation was acquired by uAvionix, a leading provider of communications, navigation, and surveillance solutions for crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The acquisition combined Iris's optical DAA capabilities with uAvionix's expertise in cooperative aircraft tracking, creating a multi-layered safety architecture for UAS integration into the National Airspace System.