FAA grants Type Certificate for Airobotics' emergency response and data collection 'drone-in-a-box'

WALTHAM, Mass. , - Airobotics Inc., a manufacturer of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) based in Petach Tikva, Israel, has been granted an Airworthiness Type Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Optimus-1EX system. The FAA's Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety David Boulter has announced the grant of the Type Certificate during Commercial UAV Expo held in Las Vegas. The company says that the Airobotics Optimus-1EX is the second-ever uncrewed aircraft to receive this certification and the first "drone-in-a-box solution", designated for fully-automated drone operations for emergency response and digital data capturing to obtain this status from the FAA.

The first-of-its-kind certification for a non-air carrier UA was achieved after four years of engineering and operational review processes conducted by the FAA. The Optimus system is already operating regularly in urban environments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Airobotics plans to leverage their experience in the UAE, and their newly type-certificated vehicle, to conduct similar operations in urban environments across the U.S., which the company plans to deploy fleets of Optimus systems as a permanent drone infrastructure. This infrastructure aims to enhance public safety, enable "drone as a first responder"  (DFR) capabilities, and offer various commercial and industrial aerial data services.

Airobotics drones are already deployed in the UAE and Israel and rely on fleets of automated drones that operate without on-the-ground human intervention. These drones function as a task force, simultaneously collecting and providing  information for various customer requirements. Each Optimus system, networked as fleet infrastructure, includes a smart airbase enabling automated battery changes for 24/7 operations. It also facilitates automated loading and installation of sensors suited for each specified mission. Optimus drones cover a perimeter of up to 30 square miles surrounding an airbase. Drone flights can be tasked with specific sensors, enabling diverse tasks within the fleet. Complex, longer-term operations can be activated, overseen by remote operators in a command-and-control center.