# Optimizing Facility Operations with Multi-Use Drone Fleets & Centralized Security Operations Center - Event: NestGen ’25 - Published: March 7, 2025 - Length: 27:37 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/iJq0yjf2lJo/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## Transcript **[0:20]** Hello everyone and welcome to NEZ25. I'm Je, your moderator for this session, and today we'll be addressing a major challenge that facility security teams and operations managers face daily: how to effectively monitor, secure, and manage large-scale sites using multiple drone fleets. Safety and operational efficiency have long been reactive, costly, and labor-intensive for industries that manage extensive infrastructures, whether residential communities, corporate campuses, industrial parks, or remote sites. So, before delving into this interesting topic, I have a few basic rules. If you have any questions, please write them in the question and answer box and we will address them at the end of the session. Interact with us and share your opinions in the chat. Tell us where you're tuning in from and what aspects of the drone autonomy industry interest you most. And, of course, just as importantly, join the conversation on social media. Use the hashtag #njden on LinkedIn and Twitter to share your ideas and tag our speakers. I would **[1:23]** also like to extend a huge thank you to our Nesgen 2025 sponsors, who are at the forefront of innovation in autonomy; Your support has been invaluable to us. And today we are joined by three industry leaders to share their experience . Matt Ryar, vice president of remote operations at UVT, who brings in-depth knowledge about deploying drone fleets for real-world operations. Chris Baker, remote operations solutions engineer specializing in AI-powered automation and fleet management technology. Edmund Jacobs, a security systems design engineer at Discovery Land , who is leading the adoption of drone security in large-scale residential and commercial facilities . Gentlemen, welcome, the stage is yours. Excellent. Thank you very much, Je. I'm going to share the screen. Yes. Fantastic. Okay, welcome everyone. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today. Chris, Jake and I are excited to tell you about some of the work we 're doing with **[2:26]** Discovery Land here at UVT. But a brief description of who UVT is. We are a value-added reseller. We have been in business since 2014, serving a variety of sectors across the continental US, from commercial security and public safety to the AEC space . We have a team of experts geographically distributed throughout the U.S. to assist customers at any stage of their drone program . As we've seen in recent years, the rise of docking-based drone solutions, which we'll be discussing today, has brought many new challenges, and our team has helped those organizations across the country launch and scale these programs. We offer everything from consulting services to hardware and software partnerships, such as with FlytBase and other resellers. And also a wide level of after-sales support to ensure that customers succeed in the field. But Jake, I'll pass the microphone to you to talk about Discovery Land. Excellent. Thanks, Matt. Well, everyone knows Discovery Land, we **[3:27]** focus on the development of high-end luxury real estate properties. And because of our highly visible and direct profile, safety is absolutely paramount for our members and for the residents who live in our communities. So, by focusing on cutting-edge physical security and integrating technology, we have partnered with UVT and FlytBase to increase our initial response capability to security incidents, as well as leveraging technology to support our development teams in the process. This partnership has been very important to us as a cost-saving exercise, and I'll leave it there for now to move on to Chris. Thank you all. It's great to be here to talk about how drones can improve safety and **[4:32]** help companies like Discovery Land. One of the great advantages we get from drones is that they offer real-time monitoring of any situation. We are able to respond more quickly to any incidents that may arise. Putting a drone into the air can take, on average, from about 10 to 45 seconds. And get a view of the scene while security personnel or officers are en route to the location. This gives them an overview and monitoring of everything they are involved in. This helps keep the public safe, because we can see what's happening around the incident. It also helps keep our security personnel and officers safe because they can see what's on the scene before they actually arrive. We are able to...use thermal imaging to detect if someone is trying to break into a house or **[5:33]** property, or if someone is lost in the woods, among other things. With thermal imaging, we can see everything that is happening around us, and those hot spots, whether they are people or vehicles, stand out immediately. And we are able to detect those things in real time. The second part that we get into with drones, especially for sites like this, is that we can map the facilities. This way , you can track and monitor what's happening with construction projects or, you know, property boundaries to make sure you stay within the required area. We inspect critical infrastructure, things like power lines, gas lines, and we can map all of that, see where it's located and integrate it into a map to deliver it directly to construction teams or anyone who needs access to that information. **[6:39]** Chris, regarding that, I think you mentioned two different points. First, the security applications that Discoveryland uses, and second, that mapping functionality. Jake will explain in a moment how these teams are organized very differently within Discoveryland, but that they use the same software to unify everything. Moving on to the next slide: What is a Flink? It's a term that FlytBase uses to integrate other external companies or other technologies such as software, hardware, etc., throughout that entire workflow and ecosystem. As programs move towards multi-purpose equipment, whether for security, land management, or other applications, perhaps even lawn maintenance on some golf courses, it is important to find software that connects all those pieces. Today **[7:40]** we'll talk a little bit about how Discovery Land is leveraging the platform to do exactly that. Capable of using it primarily as a security asset and then transmitting data to different aspects of your operation. Chris, if you want to mention how VMS integrations with Flinkx look on the security platform that Discoveryland uses. And Jake, if you'd like to give more details about how they visualize that information in the real-time transmissions that reach their system. Of course. One of the great advantages of FlytBase is that its software has the ability to connect with different software companies that could be used within Discoveryland's operations. They have, you know, screens that have access to all the cameras, recordings , they can see everything that happens around that property. And with **[8:44]** these integrations, we can now see the drone's live signal on the software platform they use at that security operations center. So we can take multiple windows and images from different sources and put them all on a single platform. This makes it much easier for security personnel on site to see everything that is happening without having to switch between screens and monitors. And it really optimizes and makes things much more efficient by having everything on one platform to monitor all these signals. Jake, I believe you use Genitech in most of the clubs we 've worked with, but could you talk a little bit about what that looks like from a total security system perspective? Correct. We use Genitech on each of our properties, and by integrating and using Flink to perform the integration with Genitech, the live video is placed in our VMS database. So everything is **[9:50]** recorded and captured in one place on our internal servers, where we can go back and use it for comprehensive investigations, not only from the fixed and PTZ cameras we have on the property, but we also have the integrated drone signal. This creates a holistic and three-dimensional view of any incident that occurs. Some examples of what we have used it for: we have had gas leaks on our property where we had emergency personnel arriving from outside. We were able to follow the emergency response vehicles, make sure they didn't make wrong turns, and guide them using the communication system and radios by watching the route they were taking to ensure they chose the fastest way to the incident. And then we were able to monitor the incident using the thermal camera and optics as the response teams arrived. We were **[10:55]** able to determine when the evacuation of the facilities was completed and report it to the chain of command as well. And at the end of the incident, we had a very holistic and three-dimensional investigation that also incorporated the drone's aerial images. So that was very impressive to our shareholders and our management teams. It really demonstrated the overall value of integrating Flink into our VMS software and the drone independently. Incredible. In that regard, when those aircraft are piloted from the control center or security operations center, who pilots the drone in these situations? Is it the current security personnel? Have they incorporated additional piloting resources, or how does that work for Discovery today? As we implement this across our portfolio, we are developing the training together **[11:55]** with UVT and FlytBase. They have been fundamental in ensuring that all our security operations centers function 24/7. So now we have three separate properties with 24/7 coverage, with certified pilots who have been trained. They can conduct research using the drone, as well as mapping missions by incorporating another Flink for one of our map processing software programs called DroneDeploy. So, that pilot can perform a mapping mission for a development team leader and seamlessly send the images directly to our DroneDeploy project for that site and then deliver a product, literally in one hour, for the team to make critical decisions, when previously it would have taken us days to achieve it. **[12:59]** We would have had to hire a third party to carry out the mapping mission for us. Now we have it at our fingertips, where we can have our internal staff carry out the mission and deliver a product to our decision-makers. Is that something DroneDeploy mentioned, and I know you've been using DroneDeploy for quite some time? Is it something you anticipate will continue to grow with that ability to integrate with that platform? Are you able to use the DroneDeploy platform more frequently for those mapping missions? Have the frequency of these tasks increased, or how has it been since you started using the FlytBase and DroneDeploy integrations? In the properties where we have purchased and installed Flink, we are actively using it on a weekly basis. We have participated as program managers for this. We have helped our implementation team schedule routine and recurring mapping missions for **[14:00]** the development team based on their needs. So it has allowed for an exponential level of flexibility. And our use of the DroneDeploy app has increased by approximately 300%, probably. It's quite a long process to achieve a 300% increase in usage. Significant. It is significant. Matt, we 're using it practically every day right now. In that sense, what have been the biggest obstacles you have faced so far? I know that Discovery Land has more than three facilities. In terms of acceptance and implementation, what have been the biggest obstacles? Has it been the proof of concept for the technology? Has it been regulatory? What are you most concerned about as you begin to gain acceptance at different facilities across the country? Geographically speaking, regulatory restrictions have held us back in some areas. Airspace **[15:03]** requirements near airports or military installations have limited us in some applications, and we have chosen to explore tethered drone options in those cases. The main obstacle for us, as for most organizations, is the organizational and financial aspect. As the properties are developed, those sources of financing also develop and mature. Therefore, I would like to have this deployment from the beginning of a property, because it is essential in my opinion for development and security aspects. It truly is a force multiplier, leveraging all resources in both development and physical security simultaneously, and solving many critical problems for us from a very early stage. The difficult part is securing funding mechanisms and acceptance from management teams. At this time, we have momentum and strong **[16:05]** proof-of-concept cases that this is a force multiplier for us and that it meets the standard by applying our resources and funding to the solution. Incredible. Well, I know that in a couple of the first projects we worked on with you, the drone was just a security asset. It came later in the project cycle, and as you start to take advantage of some of the mapping capabilities and are able to move that up the process, I know you'll continue to gain more buy-in . We had a quick slide here to talk about regulation. Anyone deploying drone technology in the U.S. knows that this is one of our biggest obstacles today. Technology as it stands today far exceeds what the regulatory environment currently allows in so many different parts of the U.S. And while we greatly appreciate all the progressive work the FAA has done to continue enabling the enhanced use of this technology, we know they are **[17:06]** only taking steps along the way to ensure that the nation's airspace is safe for these types of operations as everything continues to grow. And right now, as things stand with Discovery Land, you're operating under a couple of different situations. Sometimes, they take advantage of exemptions for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. At other times, they rely on visual observers on site. Do you see that in the next six to 18 months, as the regulatory environment continues to improve on that front, that will help your scale and your ability to achieve greater adoption, or has it been easy working with the regulatory side so far? I foresee a dramatic improvement over the next 18 months. Some of our limitations are the staff and visual observers that are available at some of our sites for remote operations. During the initial deployment phase, there are times when I receive a call and a request from a security director who is not on-site, and if we don't have **[18:10]** the visual observers present, we can't comply with that. So the regulatory environment is going to change, as you said, in the next 18 months, and that will help us exponentially. Brilliant. Okay, G, I see there are a couple of questions there. Do you mind if we address them now, or did you have something else in mind first? No, we can address the questions right now . So, let me take the questions and you can help the audience with that. One question someone asks is: what are the biggest challenges when integrating drones into a centralized SOC? Matt, would you like to answer this? Yes, I can start and then see what Jake has to say about it from the Discovery side, but I would say the number one challenge is who is going to run the operation. As many know today, a Part 107 license is still required even if you are operating a drone remotely. And although there are staff in these SOCs, most of the **[19:14]** time they were hired for other jobs and have fairly limited bandwidth capacity. And well, the biggest challenge we've seen at all levels is: how to develop a team of personnel, whether on-site or remote, who can help pilot the drones and bring them up to date to comply with standard regulations or additional BVLOS exemptions? From a technological point of view, I'm sure we have other things to share, but do Chris or Jake have anything to share on that front ? Of course, Matt. I think you hit the nail on the head. The initial rollout is usually quick, and we always try to catch up in terms of training and certification, where there is that two- or three-month lag. So we've reinvented ourselves, now we're going ahead and training our security operations center staff as a mandatory standard. We know this will be a deployment for us in the future. Therefore, as soon as we identify those key people **[20:18]** for your position, we add them to your training profile so they can get certified even if we don't yet have the drone and base available. On the technical side, do you have any ideas? Absolutely. I was going to say, one of the next things we see in many of these operations centers is that, when they are initially installed, they are set up to monitor cameras and simply have someone sitting in front of the computer switching from one to another. One important thing we see is that many computers do not have the necessary hardware requirements to pilot drones and have the additional resources to carry out these projects. So the next part is where some delay issues and things like that arise . There is definitely a need to invest in the hardware of these operations centers to ensure they can meet the demands of piloting these drones remotely. Correct. We are **[21:23]** working with our technology and IT support teams to upgrade many of our systems and processors to make them compatible and powerful enough to operate 360 ​​ and thermal cameras, as well as the drone and other programs we deploy for access control and visitor management, including CAD on some of our computers. Without the right systems, it can be complicated and will slow down operations. We've encountered that a few times. It requires a strategic investment in those technological systems. And UVT has been absolutely great, as has FlytBase, helping us troubleshoot and identify the right path forward for us. Okay then. Thanks Jake for going into that. There's a question I think is quite interesting and that many **[22:28]** people would like to know: how does drone-based security compare to traditional security measures in terms of efficiency and cost? So, maybe Jake, if you wanted to delve deeper into the types of workflows you guys do today with the drone, perhaps responding to security threats and all that. Absolutely. I will address that on two separate fronts. One is about the strictly physical security response that a security director responsible for their site must manage. The drone and the deployable and attachable drone provide them with a tool that really helps with manpower and staffing. It can replace a standardized human security guard or patrol, which, as we know, is not just one person on a 24-hour operation. In reality , just over four **[23:29]** people are needed to fill that position. And having the drone there. We have found cost savings in our deployments , especially at the beginning when there is no staff available. Similarly, we used to have a security officer sitting in a vehicle waiting to respond to something, earning an hourly wage that simply ate up the budget. Now we have a deployable resource from a technology center that can go out and do that immediate visual assessment of the security incident and deploy to it. Therefore, we don't have to use so many resources in the early stages of these developments. On the development side, it's about using the integrations we have. It has reduced our contracts with third parties to bring in drone companies to do mapping, imaging and provide those documents. In one of our **[24:32]** properties, it has probably saved us close to $ 20,000 per month in third-party hiring fees over the past six months. We were paying a lot of money and now we have internalized the ability to perform those tasks on our own for a fraction of the total price. Jake, a 300% increase in usage and $ 20,000 in savings. I think we need to review our marketing materials together. I'm considering starting my own drone company at this point. So, um, and part of that is due to the geographical location. Some of our properties are very difficult to access and, uh, these technologies and companies to support us are simply not there. So they have to be implemented by us when we deploy this technology and have it in place. Well, we've eliminated all the logistical costs that this entails . Incredible. Um Matt, do you have any other ideas about this? Actually , **[25:39]** I think the only thing I would like to add is that, when starting to compare with traditional security measures , it is important to know that drone technology does not replace traditional security measures; It's another layer in that package. And so, uh , it gives us a better answer for some types of situations, but it 's not the only answer for an entire security operation. And so, simply understanding the capabilities it can provide and the value it brings in different situations is important, um, to know where that layer really fits into that whole ecosystem of security products. It is a force multiplier in many ways, but as I said, it is not the only security technology out there . It's important that it's integrated in layers, and I think that's what starts to bring value to software that can be integrated with other third-party platforms, in a very agnostic way, because it's, as I said, that layer in the whole ecosystem. Absolutely. Very good. Uh, I don't think there will be any more questions from the **[26:40]** audience . So let's wrap this up quickly. Uh, thank you so much Jake, Matt, uh Christopher, you guys have been amazing. It has been a very revealing session. Um, personally, it was quite interesting, you know, to learn how this has given them, uh, many benefits in terms of cost and efficiency; And at the same time, knowing that, uh, you deployed a base and not only were you able to improve your security systems, but also, uh, were able to get the data to the right decision-makers. So thank you very much guys and to the audience, if you have any questions or if you want to contact UT, see the details on your screen. Thank you very much and see you at the next session. Thank you. OK.