How we measure
How we measure image age.
Image age is the time from a frame’s exposure on the drone to its display to the operator. Here is where we measure it, how we will verify it and which numbers we already have.
01 · Measurement chain
From light in the scene to light on the panel.
Click a step in the chain. Use the switch to compare what the optical reference covers and what VERA covers in flight.
02 · Measured so far
What we have and under which conditions.
Internal measurements of the prototype chain with a phone as transmitter over WiFi. These are not measurements on a drone or over a mobile network.
- Zmeasured internally
- Mmanufacturer data, not verified by AKIZU
- NAKIZU design
- Ctarget
- Pplan
- Odesign estimate
- Unot yet known
| Measurement | Value | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Full chain, median (WiFi, phone as transmitter) | 64.6 ms | Z |
| Full chain, p99 (WiFi, phone as transmitter) | 87.4 ms | Z |
| Switch to neutral screen after stream loss | ≤ 2.72 ms | Z |
| Receiver: frame → GPU, p50 | 0.3 ms | Z |
| LET-1: p99 image age on a real drone | ≤ 50 ms | C |
| KVAL-1: qualification target | ≤ 25 ms | C |
03 · Why p99
The median hides the tail.
Safety is decided not by the average frame but by the oldest ones. That is why AKIZU targets are stated as p99: 99 out of 100 frames must be younger than the deadline.
04 · Procedure
How the optical measurement will run.
- ClocksSynchronise drone and receiver clocks and check their drift during the test.
- StimulusAn LED in the camera view and a photodiode on the panel, both on one reference clock.
- SamplesThousands of samples per configuration: network, operator, profile and bitrate.
- Resultp50, p99 and maximum with measurement uncertainty and a description of conditions.
- ComparisonCompare optics with VERA values. The difference shows how far VERA can be trusted in flight.
Plan. Optical measurement is the first gate, planned for Q4 2026. P
05
What we claim and what we do not
We claim
- Internally measured prototype values, with conditions stated.
- LET-1 and KVAL-1 as targets, not achieved results.
- That every number on this site carries a tag: measured, target, plan or estimate.
We do not claim
- That we have measured image age on a drone over 5G. That is the LET-1 target.
- That we guarantee image age on every network and in every location.
- That the products are manufactured or certified.
06 · Gates
Verification steps.
- Q4 2026Optical measurementImage age verified with an independent optical instrument.
- Q1 2027LET-1 on VOXL 2p99 image age under 50 ms on a real drone.
- Q2 2027Stability on 5GAt least 95 % of time in the Valid state.
- Q3 2027First paid pilotDeployment with a partner.
In more detail
How to read 64.6 and 87.4
Two numbers from one internal measurement, not from a flight.
A median of 64.6 ms says half the frames were younger. A p99 of 87.4 ms says how far the tail reached. For a decision the tail matters more than the middle.
The conditions: Wi‑Fi, a phone as the transmitter. The switch to a neutral screen came out at most 2.72 ms. That is a screen switch, not image age from a drone.
If someone shows one number without conditions, ask whether it is p50, p99, or a target.
Bring to the meeting
- Who the transmitter was.
- Which network.
- Whether it is age, or a screen switch.
This is not
- Carrying this number over to 5G.
- Carrying it to another route.
- A comparison with someone else's flight without a method.
In more detail
What to ask before a measurement
A measurement without a route is only a laboratory figure.
Where age decides about metres: an approach, an entry, a fence, a line segment. A pilot should measure there, not an average cell in a city.
A repeat on another day on the same segment shows whether the number was chance. One good-looking run does not belong in the report.
The optical measurement is a gate in the fourth quarter of 2026. Until then the internal number is what we have, not what we promise on an aircraft.
Bring to the meeting
- The place where an old image misleads.
- The altitudes, if the network is the question.
- What happens when one network fails.
This is not
- A ground measurement as proof at altitude.
- One run as a type certificate.
Explore
Explore every area and the other sections
Twelve solution areas and the sections that belong with them. The case studies are illustrations, not completed deployments.
Solutions
Other sections
Book a demo
See how old your image really is.
We will show the system live or measure the image age on your drone.