The city of Greensboro will consider a $5.7 million citywide unmanned aircraft system
Katie Arcieri Reporter Triad Business Journal
A drone technology firm is looking to break into the Triad, with a proposal to install a $5.7 million unmanned aircraft system that arrives at emergency incidents before police do.
Olaeris will present a plan to the Greensboro City Council on Tuesday for the installation o f the AEVA aircraft system, which launches automatically once a 911 call is received. The unit arrives at the destination in 90 seconds or less and begins transmitting live video from above to police dispatch centers so officers “can actually see what’s happening at the scene,” said Ted Lindsley, CEO of the Thailand-based company.
“What we are talking about is an aircraft that is bigger than a king-sized bed, and it is operated by a certified pilot, just like a helicopter pilot on the ground, ” he said.
The system, which could go into operation as early as 2017, would have a fleet of about 12 aircraft. It would be similar to a $5.7 million county network that Macon, Ga., last week unanimously approved.
Lindsley said his company has formed a partnership with HAECO Americas, which would manufacture Olaeris’ AEVA systems, possibly within a High Point building where HAECO is consideringadding 147 jobs.
Wesley Reid, assistant city manager for Greensboro, said the council will hear Olaeris’ plan at a 4 p.m. work session on Tuesday. A vote could come in August based on the council’s reaction Tuesday, he said.
If the system is approved, Olaeris would establish a regional support office in Greensboro that would support a six-state Mid-Atlantic region.
Macon, meanwhile, would support the Gulf region. Olaeris is also talking to multiple cities in the Midwest now.
Greensboro would begin paying for the system only after Olaeris demonstrates the fully operational system and the city is satisfied that the company has delivered on its promises, Lindsley said. The system would be expected to cost the city less than $100,000 per month.
“If we fail in any way, they owe nothing,” Lindsley said. “When we succeed, the city will have the fastest 911 response capabilities in the country and work far more efficiently than ever before.”
HAECO also would assist with the system’s Federal Aviation Administration certification, which could take 13 to 24 months, he said. The AEVA system would be classified as a remotely piloted aircraft, he said, which is different from a drone or an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Olaeris unveiled its AEVA technology in 2012 and began scouting cities to become early adopters of the technology. Lindsley said Olaeris was contacted by Kyle Snyder, director of the NextGen Air Transportation Center at N.C. State University.
“North Carolina wasn’t even on my radar. I kind of chuckled when he said, ‘I’m from North Carolina,'” Lindsley said. “He said ‘North Carolina wants to be a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and you represent 2025 technology that we want here.’”
Lindsley said Greensboro came close to considering a deal with Olaeris in 2013, but city officials hesitated because there was not a state framework for operating such systems at the time.
“They got nervous because they said, ‘Look, we feel like we’re stepping out here all alone. North Carolina has no operating rules for these aircraft yet,'” he said.
Reid said the city felt more comfortable once North Carolina’s legislature passed a law that creating a framework for unmanned aerial vehicles.
“There had been a lot of advances and a lot things that had changed,” he said. “So we were willing to hear them again.”
Reid added that the company’s relationship with HAECO, a major employer, also added credibility to Olaeris’ plan.
“That piqued our interest,” he said. “The partnership that they were building with HAECO was a huge one for us.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2015/07/20/greensboro-to-consider-5-7m-drone-deal.html
