Salvador Carnival is, by definition, a monumental logistical challenge. With over 12.5 million people making their way through the city’s carnival area over seven days, coordinating public security operations, monitoring crowd flow, and ensuring a rapid response to incidents requires the use of cutting-edge technology and integration across different levels of government. In 2026, this equation gained an unprecedented component in Brazil: The FlytBase drone management platform, implemented by OCA Drones in two Proofs of Concept (PoC) — one with SALTUR (Salvador Turismo S.A.) and another with the Remote Piloted Aircraft Support Unit (NOARP) of the Bahia Civil Police.
The results exceeded expectations and opened a new chapter for the use of automated drones in public security operations and event management in Brazil.
FlytBase: The Platform That Redefined Drone Management in the Field
Founded in India and operating globally, FlytBase is one of the world’s most advanced software platforms for automated drone management. Its architecture integrates drones, automated landing stations (Docks), real-time maps, live video streaming, and programmable mission workflows in a single centralized interface, accessible by any authorized operator regardless of their physical location.
The platform is compatible with leading drone manufacturers, including DJI, and offers features such as automatic takeoff and landing, waypoint mission execution, real-time image transmission, integration with alarm systems, VMS, and others, especially the simultaneous management of multiple aircraft and teams. For large-scale operations such as public events, critical infrastructure monitoring, or security patrols, FlytBase represents a qualitative leap over traditional manual operation solutions.
OCA Drones, a Brazil/Bahia-based company with 13 years of experience in the corporate drone market, formed a strategic partnership with FlytBase to bring this technology to Brazil, acting as a bridge between the platform and the specific needs of the national market across all sectors where real-time operational monitoring and image transmission are key differentiators.
PoC SALTUR: Automated Operation with DJI Dock 2 for Crowd Monitoring
One Proof of Concept was carried out in partnership with Hive Computer Vision for SALTUR, the municipal company responsible for organizing and promoting Salvador Carnival. The goal was to validate the use of a drone system combined with Artificial Intelligence for monitoring the flow of revelers, tracking access points, identifying critical crowd concentrations, monitoring electric trios and support vehicles, and following localized incidents, all in support of the event management team’s decision-making.
For this PoC, the DJI Dock 2 was used, an automated landing and recharging station that allows the drone to take off, execute programmed missions, and return in a fully automated manner. Despite the recent BVLOS operating authorization granted by ANAC for the Dock 2 + Drone combination, given the complex operational environment, all operations took place with a pilot and observer physically present on site.
The FlytBase platform was responsible for managing the entire operation, including mission scheduling and live image transmission for real-time processing by Hive and for SALTUR management teams. The integration allowed the event coordination team to monitor crowd dynamics along the Barra Ondina region with a continuous and up-to-date aerial view, optimizing the positioning of support teams and anticipating risk situations before they became critical.
PoC NOARP / Bahia Civil Police: Team Coordination and Live Streaming
The other Proof of Concept involved the NOARP, the Remote Piloted Aircraft Support Unit of the Bahia State Civil Police. The challenge here was distinct: NOARP operated with multiple teams distributed across Carnival regions, each with their own drone and pilot. The need was for centralized view — knowing in real time where each team and each aircraft were and being able to monitor images captured by all drones simultaneously.
Using FlytBase, it was possible to track the location of each NOARP team and their respective drones on a unified map, giving the Unit Commander a complete operational picture of all aerial assets deployed at the event. At the same time, the platform streamed live footage from each drone to the various Command Centers and Outposts, eliminating the need for redundant communications and enabling tactical decisions to be made based on direct, immediate visual information.
“We have a total of six drones operating at various points along the circuit, and this live connection was of utmost importance — the competent authorities were able to follow our entire operation at Salvador Carnival in real time. It is a unique, unprecedented initiative, and we have plans for the future based on this Proof of Concept. FlytBase has proven to be a very stable platform with capabilities unlike any other we have tested”,
IPC Pompilio Junior, NOARP Commander, Bahia State Civil Police, during the PoC.
5G Connectivity and the Simplicity of Field Integration
One of the operational differentiators proven during the PoC was the simplicity of connecting the native DJI application directly to the FlytBase platform via the internet, with no additional equipment or complex configuration required — only the 5G connectivity of the smartphones used in the field.
Image transmission from the drones happened in real time, with high quality, no data loss, and no perceptible delay, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information regardless of team location.
NestGen Retreat 2026: Brazil at the Forefront of the Global Conversation
The success of the two PoCs at Salvador Carnival came at a special moment for OCA Drones. In early March 2026, Carlos Galassi, founder of the company and one of the most experienced professionals in Brazil’s corporate drone sector, was invited to attend the NestGen Retreat — a high-level event reserved for a select group of FlytBase strategic partners from around the world, taking place in person for the first time in Jaipur, India.
For someone who has followed the evolution of the drone industry since the very first steps of Brazilian regulation, joining this circle of global leaders carries a meaning that goes beyond networking: it is a confirmation that Brazil, and OCA Drones, have earned a relevant place in the conversation about the future of drones.
The NestGen Retreat is a concrete opportunity to bring to the global table the lessons from Salvador’s operations: two real-world cases, with public security forces, at one of the largest events on the planet. Beyond sharing results, it is possible to contribute to unique perspectives that only those who operate in Brazil can offer — a market defined by high regulatory complexity, diverse operational scenarios, and an event scale few countries can match.
A New Standard for Coordinated Drone Operations
The Proofs of Concept at Salvador Carnival established a new benchmark for the use of drones in large-scale operations in Brazil. OCA Drones and FlytBase are ready for the next challenge — whether it is another major event, a high-complexity public security operation, the monitoring of critical infrastructure assets such as highways, railways, power transmission lines, and pipelines, or any scenario requiring real-time coordination and tracking of aerial drone activities. The technology is validated. The experience is documented and will be shared globally.
The future of automated and coordinated aerial operations in Brazil is being written now. And Salvador was the stage for an important chapter in that story.
For more information, visit: www.ocadrones.com
MundoGEO organizes the DroneShow, MundoGEO Connect, SpaceBR Show and Expo eVTOL exhibitions annually in São Paulo, Brazil. See the highlights of the last edition: