SkySafe and University of Illinois extend partnership to protect sporting events from drones

SkySafe has been awarded a two-year renewal agreement from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to continue its work to help combat drone threats and protect spectators, students, student-athletes and first responders. 

SkySafe’s cloud-based drone detection technology provides the university with a system for event security and airspace management, addressing the increase in unregulated small drone usage. The system identifies, tracks and analyses drone activity and also offers early detection and warning capabilities, allowing security teams to identify potential airspace violations and take early action. 

In the last year, SkySafe has provided the university with visibility into over 7,500 drone flights in its airspace. In September, with approximately 60,000 spectators gathered for a football game, a nefarious flight was detected, leading to the arrest of the drone operator. Through SkySafe’s drone detection and advanced forensics, the university was able to provide documentation and drone details which led to the prosecution of the drone operator.