In a significant nod to the growing trust in autonomous drone technology, Ondas Holding’s subsidiary Airobotics has clinched a $2.6 million order from a Dubai governmental entity to enhance its fleet of Optimus Systems for public safety and emergency response operations. The deal marks a vote of confidence for Ondas, which has been pushing the envelope in the private industrial wireless networks, alongside automated data solutions.
Since 2020, the Optimus System has become a staple in Dubai's public safety operations, performing thousands of automated flights, free from human intervention. Its success in the metropolitan canvas of Dubai, known for its dense population and high-rise skyline, attests to the system's robustness in navigating complex urban landscapes.
Eric Brock, Ondas’ CEO, underscores the Optimus drone’s track record, noting its impressive number of flights over urban areas. The recent accolade—a first-of-its-kind Airworthiness Type Certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—reaffirms the system's high level of maturity and automation prowess.
For Airobotics, led by CEO Meir Kliner, the Dubai order represents both a repeat endorsement and an opportunity to expand its vision of automated urban drone infrastructure for public safety and emergency response. Airobotics' ambitions, harmonized with Ondas’ American Robotics, are not confined to Dubai’s glittering shores; they extend to the United States, banking on the Optimus drone’s FAA Type Certificate to enable similar operations stateside.
Ondas' Autonomous Systems (OAS) business unit, encompassing American Robotics and Airobotics, is carving a niche in the automated drone system market. American Robotics' efforts in automated Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations and Airobotics' work in urban drone infrastructure position Ondas favorably in the commercial drone industry.
With the Optimus drone's recent FAA Airworthiness Type Certification—a first for any small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) focused on security and data capture—Ondas is setting a precedent. This certification greenlights more expansive operations in urban environments, potentially revolutionizing how we manage and respond to public safety scenarios.
The ability to operate over people, along roads and highways, and near critical infrastructure, coupled with the existing track record of safety and reliability, suggests a significant leap toward the realization of fully automated drone services in cities worldwide.
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