Paladin EXT Launch

[Lurker]

Following the success of Knighthawk and Watchtower, Paladin is extending LTE capabilities to DJI in an effort to help departments start drone-as-a-first-responder (DFR) programs quicker and more effectively.

 

Paladin founder Divy Shrivastava spent most of his childhood in a town 25 min north of Columbus, Ohio. In 2016, just as he was readying to attend Berkley for Engineering, a close friend’s house caught fire and burned down. This event had a massive impact on Divy and the community as a whole and introduced him to the world of public safety.

He knew there had to be a better way. After talking to the local fire chief, he learned two important facts: 1) a fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. 2) First responders never have enough information when they arrive on the scene. This is because when someone calls 911, they’re usually panicked or not trained to assess a scene.

After another fire burned down a campus church during his first year at Berkley, claiming several lives, Divy set out to found Paladin with a single mission - send autonomous drones to 911 calls to give first responders a live overhead view of an emergency before they arrive, helping to increase situational awareness, decrease response times, and save lives.

In 2021, Paladin released Knighthawk—an autonomous drone with LTE connection, enabling it to fly BVLOS missions and Watchtower—Paladin's cloud-based DFR software, capable of drone flight, multi-device live video feed, and data management all within one platform.

Paladin EXT is the next evolution of Paladin's mission to equip first responders with a one-stop solution for a more effective DFR response. Paladin EXT integrates directly with DJI Matrice 300 and Matrice 30 via the built-in PSDK port to leverage the extended range of an LTE connection.

“Paladin’s mission is to build technology that saves lives. Every department that wants DFR should be able to use it - it’s our responsibility as a company to remove barriers to make this happen,” said Paladin founder Divy Shrivastava. “Now, with the EXT module, departments won’t need to purchase new equipment to do it. It brings the ease of use and unlimited range of Paladin’s C2 link to the amazing capabilities of DJI’s Matrice lineup, making DFR more accessible than ever before.”

With LTE connection, drones are able to safely travel beyond a 3-mile radius from their home base. Traditional radio-based drones carry limitations both in range and scalability because of the need for remote pilots-in-command (RPICs) with a direct connection from the remote controller to the drone.

By leveraging the power of LTE, agencies and departments can eliminate the need for larger fleets and RPICs on rooftops and cut down on unnecessary costs to cover the same area. LTE allows for a 3:1 coverage when compared to radio-controlled drones.

LTE is also a major factor in how Paladin is able to acquire BVLOS waivers without the need for a visual observer (VO) on a roof for its existing customers and partners.