How Enterprises & Startups Can Build Automated, Cloud-connected Drone Apps

Enterprises & Startups can leverage FlytBase APIs to build & scale automated, cloud-connected drone applications and reduce time-to-market. The commercial drone industry is heading towards complete automation. This transition calls for seamless integration with different software & hardware.

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At FlytBase, we are cognizant of this ever-growing need for scalable enterprise applications that involve drones. Keeping this in focus, we are introducing FlytBase API platform to enable automated, cloud-connected drone applications for enterprises & startups.

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We are proud to announce that we are extending the capabilities of FlytBase as a comprehensive backend platform for enterprise drone ops. We introduce FlytBase APIs to securely connect drones with any business application that supports RESTful architecture. This means that businesses can rapidly build and scale custom drone applications to manage their drone fleet.

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^{Key benefits of using FlytBase APIs}

• Simple: FlytBase APIs are simple with clearly defined endpoints to perform specific functions.
• Powerful Abstractions: FlytBase APIs provide powerful abstractions so developers do not have to deal with lower-level languages to communicate with drones.
• Hardware Agnostic: Whether it is a DJI, PX4, or ArduPilot drone or any companion computer (like Rasberry Pi 4b, Nvidia Jetson, ODROID N2, etc.), FlytBase APIs are agnostic and have the necessary adapters to communicate with the hardware. These APIs
• Discoverable: Our API endpoints are logically organized in extensive documentation so that even new developers can get up to speed quickly with the capabilities.
• Consistent: All our API endpoints are constructed logically so that developers can anticipate different functionalities.
• Virtual Drones: As the name implies, these are simulated drones in a virtual environment. Work on simulations to test your applications faster without risking expensive hardware.
• Scalability: Our cloud services are hosted on Amazon AWS, and it is adaptive making it possible to deploy resources as you grow your business.

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^{APIs that are currently available for our enterprise users}

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• Navigation APIs: Control drones remotely from a dashboard.
• Telemetry APIs: Fetch telemetry data like speed, altitude, global position, etc. from a drone.
• Payload APIs: Control & integrate various payloads with FlytBase.
• Video Streaming APIs: Access live video streaming from a drone. Share this stream with your team and guests for collaboration.
• Vehicle Setup APIs: Perform a series of checks on the operational capabilities of a drone.
• Gimbal Control APIs: Remotely control the gimbal pitch of a drone.
• Camera Zoom APIs: Change the orientation of the camera and the zoom remotely.
• Command & Control APIs: Send drone to a GPS location, control heading remotely.
• Mission Planning APIs: Set a pre-programmed mission/path for a drone.
• Precision Landing APIs: Land drones precisely on a machine-generated tag.
• Collision Avoidance APIs: Integrate collision sensor data with FlytBase dashboard and set thresholds to avoid collisions.
• Drone-in-a-box API: Integrate with Drone-in-a-Box hardware. Command drone launches and landings remotely. Moreover, you can retrieve charging (or battery swapping) & docking station statuses.
• Geofence APIs: Set a virtual boundary for drones and trigger fail-safes in case of breaches.

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^{What enterprises & startups can build using our Drone APIs}

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Drone-based autonomous security and surveillance system:

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Security systems can be enhanced using drones. A custom enterprise web application can be integrated with CCTV cameras & software (for example Video Management solutions like Milestone), motion sensors, and ground-based hardware using FlytBase APIs. Further, businesses can leverage these APIs for mission planning to automate the patrolling of drones, thereby reducing the need for redundant manpower.

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Automation need not be limited to just spontaneous patrolling; it can be scheduled for regular security patrols using APIs for DiaB (Drone-in-a-Box hardware). Absolute autonomy lies in eliminating human interference starting from time-defined missions where the drone takes off, performs the mission, and docks back into the box to charge/swap batteries.

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In real-life, the system will leverage a unified dashboard as a command center and our live video streaming APIs to manage the entire operation. In the event of an intrusion, it will operate in the following way:

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• An intrusion alert goes off in the main dashboard. API integration with FlytBase triggers the drone system.
• The system creates a waypoint mission for the drone. A drone automatically launches from a DiaB station and goes to the point of interest.
• The drone begins live-streaming, and the human operator identifies the intruder from the live drone footage. The operator uses the payload APIs of FlytBase to maneuver the camera and look around. AI-detection technology can also automate intruders and help track in the video.
• On completion of the mission, the drone automatically returns back to the docking station.

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Drones-based medical delivery system:

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Companies have been actively building & deploying drone systems that can deliver critical medical payloads to remote locations. A US-based company called Zipline is one such company that has extensive operations in the African nations of Ghana and Rwanda.

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They rely on a centralized system where they operate from a medical warehouse and all incoming requests for blood are fulfilled via drone delivery. The highlights of the system are that the drones can fly autonomously from the warehouse to the delivery point, drop the payload, and return back to the base. Following are some APIs of FlytBase can be used to build a similar system:

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• Mission Planning APIs: To set the route of a drone to the delivery location.
• Navigation APIs: To take control of a delivery drone remotely in case of an emergency.
• Vehicle Setup APIs: To run a diagnostic of a drone before sending it off to a mission.
• Video Streaming APIs: To remotely monitor a delivery mission through a video feed.
• Geofence APIs: To restrict the area of operation of the drones.
• Command & Control APIs: Send drone to a GPS location, control heading remotely.
• Collision Avoidance APIs: To get data from the onboard sensors and set thresholds to avoid collisions.
• Payload API: To control the payload dripper or actuators

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Drone-based emergency response system:

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Leveraging the FlytBase APIs, a response system can be built that is fully autonomous and integrated with a Computer Aided Dispatch system like 911. In the event of an emergency, an operator using such a system can dispatch a drone to survey the situation.

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On receiving the command, a drone will launch and fly to the location autonomously and begin acquiring data using its onboard camera. The operator can share the live feed of the drone with the first responders who can plan a better response.

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The APIs used in this case would be similar to the delivery system mentioned above, with a focus on BVLOS capabilities and live-stream of data.

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^Summary

In this blog, we introduced the APIs of the FlytBase platform and the benefits of using them. In a nutshell, FlytBase API is built for developers building applications to manage enterprise drone operations with BVLOS capabilities. Our extensive and reliable set of APIs is a result of our experience working with commercial drones for almost a decade. Request access today & start building cloud-connected automated drone applications and reduce time-to-market or join FlytBase’s growing network of integration partners!