Autonomous flight tech startup Reliable Robotics has successively flown a commercial aircraft remotely from the ground over fifty miles away in a series of tests this February. 

The remote pilot in the control centre instructed an upgraded Cessna 208 Caravan to taxi, takeoff, manoeuvre over a populated region, and land while communicating with nearby air traffic through the aircraft’s onboard radios. The flights took place in California, and were controlled from the company’s headquarters in Mountain View.

Founded by SpaceX and Tesla veterans, Reliable Robotics is aiming to develop a self flying system that can be used with any sized aircraft. The technology was first used on a Cessna 72 in 2019. The February series of tests show that it can be deployed on larger commercial aircraft.

Early test flights are conducted by a remote pilot seated in the new control centre, while an onboard safety pilot concurrently monitors flight performance. Data and experience gathered during each flight informs future engineering decisions, supports operational design within the workspace, and helps test and improve onboard control systems. 

The company plans incremental certification for its technology featuring gradually increasing autonomy.

Reliable Robotics is building a remote flying system that includes professional pilots in the loop: control centre workstations allow remote command of aircraft during all phases of flight. Remote pilots maintain situation awareness and manage the flight plan similarly to an onboard pilot.

A proprietary sensing and computing platform handles fault management in conjunction with added mechanical redundancy designed for continuous safe operation. Detailed insight into each aircraft’s condition is made available to operators through a secure network.

The modified aircraft operates in a manner indistinguishable from others sharing the airspace, with no changes to existing infrastructure or procedures. Remote pilots verbally communicate with ground and air traffic controllers as well as other aircraft.

Command and control, voice and data links implement end-to-end encryption with authenticity and integrity checking methods developed for safety and mission critical applications. This ensures all data relayed between the remote pilot and the aircraft can be cryptographically verified as original and unaltered.

“Routine flight testing from our control centre is essential for validating our design and developing human factors guidelines for commercial remote piloting,” said Casey Klebba, Director of Remote Piloting at Reliable Robotics. “Equally important is our work to support and advance the certification basis for autonomous aircraft systems so they can be operated at scale.”

The company believes that once certified for commercial use, advanced aircraft automation will allow operators to meet rising cargo demands and eventually offer more convenient flight options for passengers.

Reliable Robotics says that the technology will allow greater use of small regional airports in underserved markets, enabling major carriers to open new routes and improve delivery speeds. Without reliance on local crew availability, flight turnarounds will be faster. Pilots will no longer be limited to flying specific types of aircraft, the same routes or only one to two flights a day. Geographically distributed control centres will enable constant operation across time zones, giving remote operators the ability to fly more frequently than traditional airlines.

“The demonstration from our control centre highlights how our system incorporates the best of both — advanced automation and people — to improve aircraft operations,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. “When this technology becomes commonplace, we’re going to see a far safer and more productive National Airspace System for all participants.”

To bring remotely piloted aircraft to the market as soon as possible, Reliable Robotics plans to more than double in size over the next year.