The drone parachute recovery system by Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS) for the DJI M200 series has been validated as compliant with industry standards following vigorous testing, completed in collaboration with NUAIR and New York Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) test site. The parachute recovery system (PRS-M200) is a UAS safety product which automatically deploys a parachute if the drone malfunctions in the air. This is the third parachute standard validation performed by NUAIR and the first for the DJI M200 series, advancing the potential for commercial drone package delivery and routine flights over people, according to NUAIR press release.
Currently, the FAA prohibits most drones from being flown directly over people. Professional drone operators can apply for a waiver from that restriction if they can demonstrate they have robust safety mitigations in place – including a validated parachute system.
The drone safety system developed byAVSS combines hardware and software with the parachute system and is developed with a “plug and play” mentality so that anyone with a DJI Matrice 200 series drone (M200, M210m, M210 RTK: V1 & V2) can purchase the AVSS product, “plug” it into their drone and start flying.
In the event of a drone malfunction in the air, the system will automatically cut power to the drone, deploy its parachute, and allow the aircraft to descend slowly from the sky. This safety system significantly decreases the potential of harm to people or property on the ground and reduces the risk of damage to the drone itself. Additionally, the PRS-M200 has a unique Parachute Pod™, which means the end-users do not have to ship the parachute for repacking and can complete a quick swap in the field.
NUAIR, which manages the FAA-designated New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, which is owned by Oneida County, put the AVSS product through 45 functionality tests across five different failure scenarios. The tests were successful, proving that the AVSS product complies with the ASTM International standard specification for small UAS parachutes, allowing AVSS to fulfill their presales for this product that were dependent on this safety validation.
The ASTM consensus standard was developed by industry stakeholders as well as representatives from the FAA in late 2018 after more than a year of work. The completion of the ASTM F3322-18 testing with NUAIR, along with the required engineering analysis, has also been acknowledged by Transport Canada as a means of compliance for the DJI M200 series for operations over people under the Transport Canada RPAS Safety Assurance declaration for modified drones.
(Image: DJI-M200-with-AVSS-Parachute)
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