In October, a drone narrowly missed the wing of an airliner approaching London Gatwick Airport and almost caused a collision that the pilot said could have put the passengers’ lives at risk. It’s this kind of scenario that San Francisco-based Iris Automation Inc. is working to prevent with the help of $8 million in newly raised capital.

The funding, which was announced today, came courtesy of Bessemer Venture Partners and several returning backers. Iris will use the capital to speed the development of its collision avoidance system, a compact module that can be used to give a drone situational awareness.

The system weighs about 300 grams and comes in a ruggedized case designed to withstand the rigors of flight. Inside, a specialized computer runs deep learning neural network software that processes video from Iris’ likewise ruggedized cameras. These in turn serve as the drone’s eyes.

According to Iris, the cameras are sharp enough to spot a Cessna light aircraft from as far as 1,500 feet away. The footage is analyzed by the deep learning module to calculate the approaching object’s trajectory and related factors such as travel speed. Iris’ algorithms then use the information to maneuver the drone away from the collision path.

The startup is positioning its technology as a better alternative to detection systems based on LiDAR and radar sensors. Both of the latter technologies have certain drawbacks, but other companies are hard at work addressing them. Bellevue, Washington-based Echodyne Inc., for instance, raised $29 million last year commercialize a drone radar that uses so-called metamaterials to match the accuracy of top-end aerial detection systems.

Today’s cash infusion is intended to put Iris in a better position to take on the competition. The startup is mainly focusing on commercial applications of drones such as crop assessment, infrastructure monitoring and air deliveries.

Iris has high hopes for its system. The startup said enabling drones to avoid collisions autonomously could not only make the skies safer, but also alleviate regulators’ concerns about the technology. That in turn would help create a more conducive legal atmosphere for companies such as Amazon.com Inc. that look to deploy drones on a large scale.

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