Advanced Navigation has developed a new AI platform for multi-drone operations in disaster management

Drones are transforming beach patrols and disaster management in Australia, but there’s no easy way for operators to control multi-drone and multi-vehicle operations.

So AI and robotics innovator Advanced Navigation has developed Cloud Ground Control (CGC), a platform to manage drone fleets. 

Cloud Ground Control robotic fleet management platform. Photo: Supplied

It enables users to live-stream, control and send commands to drones remotely using with a simple plug-and-play system, which means thousands of vehicles across land, air, and sea can be connected to the platform simultaneously

Advanced Navigation CEO Xavier Orr said the system, with a cellular micro-modem, CGConnect, is a significant advancement in robotic capabilities. 

“In the drone age, humans rely on drones and robotic vehicles to achieve physically demanding and even unattainable tasks,” he said.  

“For all the high expectations for what drones can do, there isn’t a simple solution developed for multi-drone operation, which is becoming more and more commonplace in our lives.”

Orr says by making the process more accessible for everyone, they’re enabling optimal security, communication and coordination in drone operations. 

Australian drone company Ripper Corp and US ocean tech company Clean Earth Rovers are using this technology for multi-vehicle missions, such as beach patrols, bushfires, cleaning up red tide and oil spills, and providing relief to flooded communities.

Clean Earth Rovers CEO Michael Arens says we are now facing the perfect storm of climate change. 

“Stressful times like these can severely undermine recovery efforts. Thankfully, with the support of CGConnect, Clean Earth Rovers has transformed its Rover AVPro into a connected autonomous fleet, giving our customers full situational awareness by the second and allowing us to make enlightened decisions,” Arens said.  

Clean Earth Rovers revolutionises ocean cleaning with Cloud Ground Control. Photo: Supplied

“It was a cost-effective and simple solution, greatly accelerating recovery efforts and helping us to restore communities in a safer and faster way.” 

CGC provides real-time camera feed data to support versatile missions with autonomous vehicles using AI algorithms running in the cloud for object detection, tracking, and thermal imaging. 

The flexible and customisable open platform operates on industry standards, allowing diverse autonomous vehicles to operate as a coordinated fleet. 

High-grade security safeguards data and IP, meeting compliance obligations. 

The platform simplifies multi-drone operation and supports AI for intensive object identification and classification on the vehicle during dynamic missions.

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