ESA: Eyes and Ears for every Airplane

In 2012, Ronald van Gent entered the ESA Business Incubation Centre in Noordwijk with his company Selfly BV. Selfly developed a Radar Based Avionics System, in order to make aviation – both manned and unmanned – easier, cheaper, but most of all: safer. Now, two years later, he has successfully finished the program and is ready to growth further.

Ronald van Gent, background in aerospace engineering, started the company Selfly BV as he has been bothered by the fact that flying without the use of Air Traffic Control is only allowed under very strict circumstances, considering visibility and weather conditions. Which makes it much more difficult for recreational aviators to take off whenever they like.

Also currently all air traffic makes use of radar technology which is only used at ground level and only the Air Traffic Control receives and analyses information derived from radar, which is subsequently shared with all air traffic involved.

So he came up with the idea to equip every airplane with a radar system. To achieve this, he focused on every individual airplane, instead of a centrally organised system. With the radar system from Selfly individual planes have the possibility to constantly check its radius for surrounding planes and environmental conditions. This would make it possible to fly without the use of ATC, in all conditions.

Ronald van Gent developed the radar system at the ESA’s Business Incubation Centre in Noordwijk. The ESA BIC did not only financially and technically supported Ronald van Gent but also give him the right entrepreneurial environment. He made good relations with the other entrepreneurs and now has fruitful cooperation’s with other companies from ESA BIC like M2Power, Metasensing and Avionics.

Ronald van Gent recommends everyone to start for themselves. “It is a process that – even with a small and simple idea – both teaches you enormously, and gives much pleasure. Being able to do this in an environment such as ESA BIC is a definite plus, because of the possibilities it provides and the help you can get from all your colleagues in the entrepreneurial community.”
 
Now, at the end of an exciting two year period, Ronald van Gent is looking forward to the future of Selfly, though a lot of work still lies ahead, to make aviation – both commercial and recreational – easier and safer, without increase of costs.