FiWare

Connect Robotics

The project was born from one of the founder PhD programme, when he were developing algorithms to pilot and navigate UAVs. Then, the both co-funders decided to focus it solution for deliveries using drones. The main differentiators are the UTM (UAV Traffic Management) tailored for Deliveries Management, and the auto-pilot to automate ready-to-fly vehicles. The team managed to fund the project through the ESA BIC Portugal (European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre), for product development and use of Galileo GNSS; and through SOUL-FI, a FIWARE accelerator, to use FIWARE technology on our UTM system.
Currently, we have a TRL 6 MVP, and are starting to do pilots with potential clients, like Logistic Operators (3PLs), Medicine Distributors, Postal Services, Food Delivery, and big property owners (for internal logistics). Beyond distribution, our auto-pilot system is capable to automate drones for inspection and surveillance.
Concerned about the development of the regulation and the UTM standards, we are founding partners of the Global UTM Association, which aims to create standard for the UTMs, include members of main drone manufacturers and Aviation Agencies.

Goals and challenges

Connect Robotics goal is to establish multiples deliveries trials with potential customers, in order to be a success case to support the regulation development, which is the main roadblock to commercialise in scale. With our system, we want to support autonomous BVLOS flights (Beyond Visual Line of Sight).
Overcome traffic jams, rivers, mountains or damaged infrastructure, to deliver urgent medicines, express packages or food; whatever the need, Connect Robotics Drone Delivery Automation is be the best choice of system to automate ready-to-fly drones and manage it though our UTM (UAV Traffic Management), made especially for deliveries.

The choice of FIWARE

We chose FIWARE in order to have great connectivity potential with future IoT systems, and to benefit from a robust and reliable system to support the quality we want to offer our clients.

The use of FIWARE technology

We use FIWARE to integrate the elements of our delivery process: Sender, Receiver, Drone, UTM and Administration Interface. The Generic Enablers used are:
– ORION CONTEXT BROKER;
– Complex Event Processing (CEP); – COSMOS;
– CYGNUS;
– HADOOP;
– WIRECLOUD;
– KEYROCK;
– WILMA.

Benefits and accomplishments

Drones can offer a quick and cheap way for delivery, and Connect Robotics offer the best way to integrate drone in the distribution chain (from internal logistics, to last mile deliveries). Our clients benefits from an end-to-end solution, with the drones and the system to manage it, thus they can offer the transportation service to their final consumers.