Flying high with our drone demos at Telefónica Innovation Day 2024

The world is changing. Who would have thought a few years ago that drones would already be flying over our cities? There is no doubt that this is a great opportunity for many sectors. Optimised logistics processes, more efficient emergency response and the transport of medical equipment are just some of the advantages offered by these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For this reason, their presence is growing, gaining importance within the existing solutions for companies. This is shown by the latest survey of the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), which forecasts a registration of 94,033 UAV operators, 32% more than in 2022.  
  
Among the most interesting points being worked on is the implementation of U-Space, the digital and regulatory ecosystem that will enable the safe and efficient integration of drones in our airspace. This is where Telefónica Open Gateway comes in. Our APIs based on network data, easily programmable enable us to leverage our Telco capabilities to build more powerful experiences within this sector, optimising the quality of connectivity and detecting the least risky routes to ensure flight efficiency.  
  
On 17 October we were present at Telefónica Innovation Day, telling people about everything we have to offer. We corroborated the power of the most unexpected connections and the potential to merge networking, innovation and the best of network APIfication. Among other things, we had a demo focused on the UAV sector, where we projected the difference between two drones flying over the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium, one using our interfaces and the other without using our tools.  

A few days ago, one of the most important events in the world of technological innovation took place. Telefónica Innovation Day 2024 surprised all attendees by revealing the incredible results that can be obtained by combining the company's cutting-edge technology. This was precisely the main essence of the meeting, focused on illuminating the future with the most (un)expected connections.  
  
As we told you, we were there to present the benefits of our project, which arise from linking the capabilities of the network, the best of innovation and the infinite possibilities of APIs. Thus, we are encouraged to unveil the next steps of the digital world, with the advanced solutions that we offer at Telefónica Open Gateway for sectors such as Anti-Fraud, Fintech, Drones and much more.  
   
Chema Alonso presented our major advances within the initiative and what we have prepared to continue driving innovation and facilitating the development of more efficient and interesting digital services. We also had a stand in the Connecting Ground demo area, where we were able to connect with many of you and show you first-hand the projects we are working on.  

To go one step further, that was our goal. We have no doubt that we accomplished our mission, leaving the audience impressed with several samples of what we have to offer for the drone sector. In this two-part demo, it was possible to see how our solutions improve the efficiency of these aerial vehicles at various critical points of the operation, one that guarantees drone flight safety and optimises the quality of the images they can provide.  

Case 1 | Analysis of aerial coverage and population density  
  
Knowing the aerial coverage is essential to track communication signals from mobile networks and to monitor a drone's route in real time. This is essential, as good planning reduces the risk of loss of control or disconnection, minimising the risk of accidents. Moreover, it is also important to know the population density along the planned route, to identify the least crowded areas over which to fly, to reduce risk on the ground and to comply with current regulations.  
  
In the demo we presented at Telefónica Innovation Day 2024, we showed a tool we have developed to analyse the chosen flight area and identify the different zones over which to fly, choosing the safest ones. We showed a map that was drawn in three colours, with red representing areas to avoid, green representing safe areas, and yellow representing areas where connectivity was compromised.   
  
This screen could be adjusted based on different parameters, customising variables such as the selected technology (4G or 5G), the altitude at which the flight was to take place or the date of the flight. This is due to the integration of our Dynamic Airspace Connectivity Data API, which facilitates the study of all information related to connectivity levels and provides a visual way to plot the most suitable route. Similarly, thanks to our Population Density Data API, the tool also allowed this same analysis of population density, with a colour scale indicating the number of people per square kilometre that will be under our route.  
  
Case 2 | Optimising connectivity  
  
Although Telefónica's network offers excellent quality, there are high congestion scenarios where it may not have sufficient resources to serve a large number of simultaneous connections. This is the case of concerts, sports matches, music festivals... At Telefónica Innovation Day 2024 we presented a unique event at the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium, which was the perfect opportunity to showcase the possibilities of our QoD Mobile API when it came to optimising the connectivity quality of the streaming of the match that was being carried out through a drone. In this way, we show how to deliver better performance and facilitate a smoother video experience with fewer cuts or delays.  
  
But we didn't stop there. We also looked at the advantages of 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this field. Thanks to these technologies, drones can now also improve their ability to identify people and objects, representing a significant advance in security and surveillance technology. At mass events such as a football match, crowd control is an essential factor in ensuring the safety of the public. AI-enabled drones can continuously monitor large areas from the air, detecting abnormal movement patterns or suspicious behaviour. In this context, we continued our demo testing these capabilities, trying to locate Roberto Fresnedoso, through one of the drone cameras located in the stadium. We showed how by integrating the QoD Mobile API, an improvement in visual quality was achieved, allowing these systems to operate more efficiently in real time, reducing delays and increasing system reliability.  

Telefónica Innovation Day 2024 has come to an end, but there are still many events ahead where we can continue to meet. To keep up to date with upcoming dates, you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter. You will also discover our product news, the new technical documents we publish and the latest industry news. Don't wait any longer!