An Australian startup known as Emesent is designing a system that gives drones spatial awareness and intelligence to help them navigate and map spaces autonomously when there is no GPS or tracking available. According to Emesent CEO Stefan Hrabar, drones that work underground or other areas that are inaccessible through common navigation techniques like GPS are in high demand. Such drones are much needed to take over some of the dangerous jobs that people currently have to do.

The mining industry is particularly interested in this new technology. Mining is a highly calculated process that involves taking measurements repeatedly of areas getting mined. Frequently, people have to make these measurements manually which can be extremely dangerous. Emesent’s solution involves equipping a standard off-the-shelf drone with a sensor and a powerful computer that performs simultaneous location and mapping fast enough that the drone can fly using it for guidance. Basically, the drone is sensing its environment and knows where it can go.

The drone can fly autonomously through horizontal or vertical tunnels, slowly working its way back and forth to collect the data needed to create a highly detailed map. In addition to saving surveyors from having to risk their lives, these drones are also capable of performing inspections much more quickly and more efficiently.

Emesent has raised over $2.5 million, which they need for their first 18 months of testing. The money largely came from the new $200 million Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Innovation fund that is currently managed by Main Sequence Ventures. The company plans to do another round of funding in a year or two in order to scale up. DARPA is also expected to make its contribution through its ongoing Subterranean Challenge should Emesent find success in the challenge.