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SAULT STE. MARIE -- The Chippewa County Drone Project has completed a live demonstration phase showing how digital airspace infrastructure can support advanced drone operations in complex flight environments.
This demo completion included securing the regulatory approvals required to conduct unmanned aircraft systems operations in one of Michigan's most complex flight environments. Led by ANRA Technologies, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, and partners across aviation, utilities, research, and technology, the project tested Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, infrastructure inspections, and shared airspace awareness near sensitive, highly regulated sites, including the Kinross Correctional Facility, St. Marys Falls Hydropower Plant and the Soo Locks no-fly zone.
Funded through Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, the work gives the Eastern U.P. a stronger foundation for commercial drone services, public safety use, infrastructure monitoring, and near-border operations. The work also puts a new economic development asset on the map for Chippewa County that is tied to advanced mobility, high-skilled jobs, infrastructure security and future private investment.