LikeABird has joined Inmarsat’s Velaris Partner Network to spearhead innovation in unmanned aviation.
LikeABird will be joining a number of leading companies in the Velaris Partner Network, all dedicated to pioneering innovations to facilitate safe and secure UAV operations.
A specialist in the custom design and manufacture of innovative systems, products and solutions for the UAV and robotics industries, LikeAbird will soon integrate with Inmarsat’s core miniaturized satcom terminal technology, with a first release expected in early 2023. In addition, it will become an official airtime provider for Inmarsat’s Velaris service.
As the first systems integrator, LikeAbird will aim to meet the evolving needs of customers across a range of UAV markets by integrating Inmarsat’s Velaris connectivity service with its existing solutions. These include flight controllers, autopilots, and beyAIR-MCG (Modular Communication Gateway). BeyAIR-MCG combines short to medium-range radio and redundant cellular datalinks with satcom. This removes the need to have additional terminals onboard, leading to benefits like cost savings and reductions in hardware size, weight and power consumption.
Anthony Spouncer, Inmarsat’s Senior Director of Advanced Air Mobility, said: “Velaris is going from strength to strength and this exciting new collaboration with LikeAbird has further cemented our partner network as the de-facto center of excellence for UAV technologies. This announcement also reinforces that Inmarsat does far more than provide datalink technologies. Our company is built on a culture of industry collaboration, using our cutting-edge satellite communication capabilities to deliver bespoke solutions faster than ever before, providing a one-stop shop to access UAV solutions easily and affordably.”
Jarno Puff, LikeAbird’s Chief Technology Officer, added: “We strive to provide ground-breaking custom and bespoke solutions that meet the needs of our customers. Inmarsat is the best partner we could have to move forward with this effort. This partnership opens the door to many more opportunities for us, so we can collaborate with key technology innovators across the breadth of the uncrewed aviation industry and ultimately have an impact on the future of aviation. We’re immensely excited to see what we achieve together, and look forward to working with the ecosystem of existing partners too.”
