Octo launches telematics for drones to manage risk, accidents and air traffic
Octo Telematics, the largest worldwide provider of telematics services with more than 4.6 million connected users, has launched Octo Drone Box, the first telematics solution for business and leisure drones, providing real-time data transmission to the Octo Data Centre through 4G connectivity.
As well as providing valuable data for drone management in terms of crashes, maintenance and air traffic control, drone telematics can also assist in road traffic accident recovery and claims management by being first on the scene of an accident and validating data from multiple sources.
“Our technology is capable of providing accurate and complete risk evaluations for insurance companies that are looking for advanced technological solutions to manage the risks associated with drone use for both professional and recreational purposes”, explained Giuseppe Zuco, Chief Technology Strategist and Co-founder of Octo Telematics.
Octo has already signed an agreement with the Italian Red Cross in Bologna (Croce Rossa Bologna) for research and development of telematics drones. Together, they are co-operating on research and development (R&D) activity in its Emergency Simulation Training Academy for the training of specialists in rescue operations with air ambulances and drones.
Zuco added: “The specific boxes that will be installed in the Italian Red Cross’s drones are highly technologically advanced and able to collect accurate data such as the zone under surveillance, altitude, the flight dynamics and more. Our experience managing large quantities of data from the insurance and automotive sectors will be key to developing an innovative, sustainable and reliable system for the management of drone air traffic.”
Drones are able to reach the scene of an accident much faster than traditional emergency services vehicles and can send information to medical and other rescue service personnel in order to better prepare them for the situation. Telematics systems within the drones will allow for proper tracking of the drone’s flight, as well boost signals from the telematics in crashed vehicles to gain more accurate locations and improve arrival time.
Emergency services across Europe are also pioneering the use of drones to coordinate search and rescue operations in remote areas and investigating their potential use in fighting fires, handling chemical spillages and dealing with multiple vehicle collisions. By connecting its market-leading in-car consumer telematics with emergency service unmanned aircraft, Octo will help drive these initiatives and continue to push innovation in the use of telematics.
About Octo Telematics
Octo is the number 1 global provider of telematics and data analytics solutions for the auto insurance industry. Founded in 2002, Octo is one of the pioneers of the insurance telematics industry. Today, Octo is the largest and most experienced insurance telematics company in the world, transforming auto insurance through behavioral, contextual and driving analytics for more than 60 insurance partners. Octo has more than 4.6 million connected users and the largest global database of telematics data, with over 136 billion miles of driving data collected and 358,000 crashes and insurance events analyzed (as of 30 September 2016). Octo applies proprietary algorithms to this market-leading database to deliver powerful new insights into driver risk, informing solutions that benefit both auto insurance companies and policyholders. The company is headquartered in London, with offices in Boston, Rome, Stuttgart, Madrid, and Sao Paulo. http://www.octotelematics.com/
