Subaru Developed the Global Standard for Drone Safety

Say “Subaru,” and most people think of cars and SUVs. Those more familiar with the brand may also think of all-wheel drive, safety, customer satisfaction, or even Golden Retrievers. Even here at Ewing Subaru of Plano, “Subaru” means many things, but we would join the rest of the public in not associating the name with flying drones or air safety rules. 

A little exploration into Subaru’s history reveals that the company was originally known as the Nakajima Aircraft Company 90 years ago. Subaru continues to have an aerospace division to this day, which designs and manufactures attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Japanese Self Defense Force, training aircraft, and the center wings of Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 jets. The grill design of the original B9 Tribeca was actually intended to express this aviation background. 

As a manufacturer of UAVs, more commonly known as drones, the firm was among many concerned with the increasing incidents of drone mid-air collisions. Known incidents include a 2017 collision of a civilian UAV and a Black Hawk helicopter in New York, a mid-air collision between a UAV and a hot air balloon in Idaho in 2018, and the 2021 collision of a Cessna with a police drone in Ontario in 2021. As drones continue to proliferate, such occurrences can only be expected to increase unless some protocols to avoid mid-air contact are taken. Despite the fact that they are unmanned, drones require global safety rules just as automobiles do, and their operators must follow traffic rules. 

Because such rules must be accepted globally, their determination rests on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO doesn’t just look at a set of ideas and give it a stamp of approval. Instead, it has a multi-step approval process that takes three to four years to complete.

Subaru’s aerospace division partnered with Japan Radio and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to submit a proposal at ISO’s 2019 international conference in London. The proposal suggested a six-step program for commercial and military drones to be able to undertake:

1. Constantly checking for potential obstacles
2. Ability to detect other aircraft
3. Automatic undertaking of evasive measures
4. Confirmation regarding if other aircraft are approaching
5. Returning to the original route
6. Proceeding along that particular route

Passengers carrying drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft should follow the same protocols. 

After reviewing this and other competing proposals, the ISO membership approved and formally acknowledged Subaru’s proposal as the global standard last October. With the safety regulations put in place, we can expect the use of drones to increase, particularly in the area of medical supply emergency delivery, mapping, and even agricultural fertilizer application. 

It is unclear if this technology will have an automotive application, though collision avoidance technologies like Subaru’s EyeSight involve related hardware and software. It certainly does show that Subaru has some pretty impressive resources behind its collision avoidance technology both on land and air. Visit Ewing Subaru of Plano’s inventory of the impressive Subaru model line, which has earned more IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards than any other brand since 2013 as of June 2024.