As the uncrewed aviation industry eagerly anticipates the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) long-awaited proposed Part 108 rule for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, a monumental technical and operational hurdle continues to take center stage: how to ensure that drones can reliably detect and avoid other aircraft in shared airspace.

This pressing challenge was a major focus of discussion at the recent AUVSI Drone and AAM Policy Symposium, held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. During the event, leading voices from regulatory bodies, federal research agencies, and private industry gathered to examine the current capabilities, limitations, and future trajectory of detect-and-avoid (DAA) technology.

The specialized panel session, expertly moderated by Dallas Brooks of Wing, brought together key stakeholders to explore the intricate landscape of aviation safety. Participants included Christian Ramsey, Chief Commercial Officer at uAvionix, and Dr. Chester Dolph, Research Lead for Intelligent Low Altitude Sensing at NASA. Together, they delved into the complex interplay between available sensor hardware, aircraft-specific equipment standards, and the broader regulatory frameworks required to safely unlock widespread, routine BVLOS operations across the United States.

No Single Technology Meets Every Need

At the heart of the ongoing debate is a fundamental engineering reality: there is no silver bullet when it comes to collision avoidance sensors. Each available technology comes with its own unique set of advantages, operational constraints, and engineering trade-offs that make it suitable for some applications but entirely impractical for others.

Christian Ramsey of uAvionix laid out the stark differences between the primary sensing modalities currently deployed or proposed for uncrewed aircraft systems. Radar, for instance, is exceptionally reliable at measuring the precise distance to other aircraft and operating across various weather conditions. However, radar hardware adds significant weight, consumes valuable electrical power, and often suffers from strict limitations regarding range and field of view.

On the other hand, optical systems and cameras provide rich, detailed visual information about the surrounding environment. Despite this high fidelity, cameras struggle significantly when it comes to accurately determining the distance of target objects and require massive computational power to process visual data in real-time.

A third category involves cooperative technologies, such as electronic transponders and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems. These systems allow equipped aircraft to actively and transparently broadcast their position, velocity, and identification information electronically. When deployed, cooperative technologies can be relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and even battery-powered, making them practical for a much wider range of smaller airframes. The Achilles’ heel of cooperative systems, however, is their absolute reliance on other aircraft also carrying compatible, active equipment. If an aircraft lacks the necessary transponder, it remains invisible to these systems.

"There is no perfect sensor," Ramsey emphasized during the panel discussion, highlighting the core dilemma facing aviation manufacturers.

Dr. Chester Dolph, Research Lead for Intelligent Low Altitude Sensing at NASA, expanded on the technological horizon by pointing toward recent, rapid advances in computer vision and machine learning. According to Dr. Dolph, these emerging computational fields hold immense promise for dramatically improving the performance, reliability, and target classification of camera-based sensing systems while simultaneously reducing their physical size and weight profile.

Nevertheless, Dr. Dolph underscored the profound difficulty inherent in developing sensing architectures that can function reliably across vastly different operational environments, weather phenomena, and aircraft classes. To bridge these gaps, he suggested that combining ground-based surveillance sensors with airborne detection systems may offer viable pathways to significantly improve overall airspace awareness and threat detection.

This technological diversity underscores why different operational concepts require vastly different technical solutions. A small, lightweight delivery drone operating over suburban neighborhoods, for example, faces strict weight, payload, and power constraints that completely preclude the installation of heavy, power-hungry radar systems. In contrast, a larger commercial cargo drone operating at higher altitudes may possess the payload capacity required for sophisticated multi-sensor fusion suites.

Regulation and Technology Must Advance Together

Beyond the hardware engineering challenges, the path to routine BVLOS operations is inextricably linked to the evolution of federal regulations. Marcus Cunningham, Manager of the FAA’s Technologies and Standards Branch, addressed the highly anticipated status of Part 108—the landmark proposed rule designed to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for routine BVLOS flight. While federal regulations strictly prohibit FAA officials from commenting on the specific details of a proposed rule while it remains under active internal review, Cunningham offered an encouraging update to the gathered industry professionals.

"I can tell you that we’ve never been closer [to completion of the rule]," Cunningham stated.

The proposed Part 108 rule is widely expected to revolutionize the commercial drone sector by establishing standardized pathways for routine BVLOS operations, thereby reducing the industry’s historical reliance on individual, case-by-case waivers and operational exemptions. At present, no official publication date has been announced by the agency.

Under the current regulatory paradigm, the FAA evaluates detect-and-avoid capabilities on an individual, piecemeal basis as part of each operator’s specific BVLOS approval process. Cunningham explained that these rigorous safety assessments evaluate not only the standalone technology but also a holistic mix of complementary safety mitigations. For instance, operating uncrewed aircraft in remote, unpopulated rural areas presents a vastly different risk profile compared to conducting complex flights in dense, highly congested urban airspace. This painstaking, case-by-case evaluation methodology can introduce substantial complexity and administrative friction for commercial operators.

Moderator Dallas Brooks pointed out a parallel, equally significant challenge facing technology developers and manufacturers. Industry innovators urgently require clear, stable performance standards to guide their research, development, and engineering efforts. However, those very standards must evolve dynamically alongside the regulatory framework itself.

This creates a delicate, high-stakes balancing act for the entire aviation ecosystem. Regulatory authorities naturally require robust, empirical evidence demonstrating that emerging technologies can consistently meet rigorous safety requirements before they can be codified. Simultaneously, manufacturers need well-defined performance requirements upfront to efficiently develop, test, and validate their collision avoidance systems.

The Path Toward Routine BVLOS Operations

The comprehensive discussions at the AUVSI symposium underscored the reality that achieving reliable collision avoidance is far more complex than simply selecting the most advanced sensor off the shelf. Truly dependable DAA systems must account for a wide matrix of interdependent variables, including aircraft physical size, operating environments, equipment manufacturing costs, and the critical capability to detect both cooperative and non-cooperative air traffic.

Continuous advancements in sensor physics, coupled with machine learning and clearer, harmonized performance standards, will be instrumental in making these vital safety systems both practical and economically viable for commercial operators. As the uncrewed aviation community continues to await the formal release of a predictable regulatory framework for routine BVLOS operations, the defining challenge moving forward will be translating these technological breakthroughs into standardized solutions that operators can deploy reliably and seamlessly across diverse missions, geographies, and operational environments.