A Safe, Legal, and Autonomous See-and-Avoid System for UAVs, Phase I

Aerotonomy, Incorporated, and subcontractors Georgia Tech and the AAI Corporation will combine state-of-the-art adaptive UAV control, optimized sensor suites, innovative strategic and tactical maneuvering systems, and a wealth of experience in manufacturing and operating Tactical UAVs (including the Shadow 200) to create a practical and autonomous See-and-Avoid System (SAAS) for safe UAV operations within the National Airspace System (NAS) and outside of Special Use Airspace. The SAAS will enable UAVs to autonomously perform both strategic maneuvering to follow the same predictable "right-of-way rules" followed by manned aircraft, as well as tactical maneuvering to perform close quarter collision avoidance. The primary innovation in this project is the Strategic Maneuvering System (SMS), a rule-based "maneuver executive" that will enable a UAV to interact with manned aircraft or other UAVs in a manner that is predictable and consonant with NAS operating procedures.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.