Drones are changing how we operate on the battlefield and in critical infrastructure operations. They are taking on new roles, like fighting mosquitos and protecting swimmers from sharks. But operating drones effectively in challenging environments is still unsolved. Drones are limited by the distance to their operator or rely on cloud uplinks to maintain connectivity during an autonomous flight.

We propose another model. Keep the necessary onboard the drone, syncing updates when connected, and being able to carry out its mission even when not. This requires purpose-built databases for the edge - where the digital world touches the physical. In warzones, remote coastlines, mines, and on the sea, unreliable connectivity can cripple missions. We built Bruinen Delta, a local-first database, to solve this – keeping devices operational, regardless of the network conditions faced in the field, ensuring operational resilience and mission success in a rapidly changing world.

Challenges of drone data management

Drones operate in remote and hostile environments facing challenges that can jeopardize their missions.

• Intermittent connectivity: Reliable communication is a constant challenge. Losing connectivity in hostile environments means losing situational awareness, exposing assets, and jeopardizing missions.

• Data loss: Imagine a drone on a crucial surveillance mission suddenly losing connection or malfunctioning. The valuable data it has gathered could be lost forever. Every piece of information is crucial in time-sensitive and regulated operations, and such losses can be catastrophic.

• Latency: Sending data back to a central server for processing introduces significant delays. This latency means the difference between success and failure in critical moments, making real-time decision-making almost impossible.

• Limited storage: Drones have finite onboard storage, forcing them to prioritize data collection and often discard important information. This hinders a comprehensive understanding of an operational environment.

• Development complexity: Designing and developing advanced drone systems is inherently complex. Integrating multiple sensors, ensuring robust communication protocols, and maintaining high levels of reliability and security demands significant technical expertise and resources. Each component must work seamlessly so the drone performs effectively under various conditions.

Addressing these challenges requires a solution that enables drones to store and analyze data on the edge, maintain functionality despite connectivity issues, and operate with enhanced efficiency and resilience.

Bruinen Delta: local-first edge db for drones

Bruinen Delta provides a distributed, local-first database for the edge.

• Local-first data storage: Each drone stores its data locally, eliminating reliance on the cloud. This allows drones to operate independently, even in areas with limited connectivity.

• Offline 0peration: Drones continue to collect data even when disconnected from the network, ensuring no data is lost during signal disruptions.

• Real-time synchronization: When drones reconnect, Bruinen Delta automatically synchronizes data between them, providing a consistent and up-to-date view of collected information, enabling coordinated decision-making and efficient operations.

• Edge intelligence: Bruinen Delta empowers drones with on-device AI, enabling real-time analysis without cloud dependence, allowing for faster decision-making and more efficient operations.

• Resilience: If a drone fails, its data remains available on other drones, ensuring data persistence and minimizing the impact of drone failures.

• Enhanced security & privacy: Bruinen Delta keeps sensitive data secure and private by processing it locally and transmitting only mission-critical information, reducing the risk of breaches and minimizing the data that needs to be transmitted.

Bruinen Delta's impact on drone applications

Contested airspace

A drone hums against the haze-filled sky, defying the chaos below. Enemy jamming crackles through the airwaves, an attempt to silence its mission. But equipped with Bruinen Delta, data flows, even when the world tries to shut it down.

Deployed in contested airspace, drones gather critical intelligence on enemy movements, even as enemy forces disrupt communications. With Bruinen Delta, the drone operates independently, using its local database. The drone can capture images, analyze them in real-time, and only transmit them back to the base when a target is identified. The data is stored locally, ensuring instant analysis and action.

When direct communication is impossible, Bruinen Delta enables data muling—one drone collects data and transfers it to another with a better connection or directly to a ground station. Crucial information reaches command centers without delay, maintaining a seamless flow of intelligence.

Every detail is securely stored, giving troops the edge to make life-or-death decisions. This is the future of intelligence gathering—secure, reliable, and always on the edge.

Wildfire response

A shadow against the darkening sky circles an electric power station, its sensors scanning the infrastructure. With Bruinen Delta, this drone isn't just collecting data; it's storing it locally, allowing it to continue its mission even in remote and potentially hostile environments.

Operating on the edge means a drone can be present at the first spark of a wildfire, far away from connectivity. Instead of transmitting a bandwidth-intensive video feed, footage can be analyzed on the device itself. Only sending back coordinates reduces latency and improves first-responder response times. It can then continue to collect data, analyze the fire's progression, map the terrain, and identify potential hazards.

This data is instantly transmitted to those who need it, giving them the edge to act decisively. With AI running directly on the drone, it can even analyze the fire's behavior and predict its spread, offering valuable insights for responders on the ground.

Imagine this scenario: Had a drone been equipped with Bruinen Delta during the 2019 Kincade Fire, the early detection and rapid analysis of the fire would have drastically altered the course of events. Armed with real-time data, those on the ground could have quickly deployed resources, preventing the blaze from reaching its catastrophic scale.

This is the power of Bruinen Delta. It's not just data storage; it's the ability to operate independently, gather intelligence, and act decisively, even when the world tries to shut you down.

The future of drones

Our goal is to enable technology to reach the edge, where we believe the greatest impacts will come from. Autonomous drones with Bruinen Delta will patrol the skies, guarding against adversaries and wildfires. These drones detect threats and respond swiftly, even in hostile environments. They will help keep infrastructure in peak condition, inspecting bridges, powerlines, and pipelines - keeping humans safe and commerce flowing. With Bruinen Delta, analysis on the edge brings faster, more informed decisions; regardless of environment or connectivity

This resilience guarantees uninterrupted operations, safeguarding lives and assets, and creating a safer, more efficient world.