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The Game Changer Free-wing VTOL Drone for Commercial and Governmental Missions

Drones have been around for about half a century, primarily in a military capacity. They hold promise as a powerful tool for a broad range of commercial applications, but their widespread adoption in industry is being held back because of certain technological limitations.

The popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, has increased during the last 10 years. Despite this, they haven’t managed to find much commercial success mainly because they need a runway or a launcher, a parachute and manpower to operate it. Most of them fly 20-30 minutes, and this prevents broad market uptake. Wind is also an issue, causing drones to drift even with a slight breeze. However, drones are capable of vertical take-off, are simple to operate and can fly automatically.

The EU-funded ARcopter project set out to “revolutionise the commercial drone market by introducing the first UAV that combines fully autonomous operation, accurate vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), and fast, efficient and reliable manoeuvring in windy conditions,” says coordinator Joseph Zwang. Ultimately, the aim was to prove the technological feasibility of a drone that can be marketed for various commercial applications, including agriculture, infrastructure, security, media and entertainment, and telecommunications.

Flying longer, faster, more effectively, even during strong winds

Project partners developed a revolutionary control system enabling the wing to rotate 360°. It will generate lift while flying, significantly reducing energy consumption. “It’s the first air vehicle in the world that can fly horizontally as efficiently as an aeroplane, and is able to hover and perform VTOL like a helicopter,” explains Colugo Systems’ chief technology officer, Amit Regev. The electric drone can fly up to 120 km for more than 2 hours, and carry out VTOL during wind speeds of about 25 knots. It’s less noisy and minimises air pollution. In addition, it can carry different payload to a variety of missions.

After building a prototype, the ARcopter team found a customer to adopt the innovation. At a desert in southern Israel, they demonstrated a fully autonomous flight for 30 km in range. In just over 45 minutes, the drone successfully returned to its landing point following the test run.

Transitioning from the military to the public and private sector

The consortium is targeting three markets where the drone’s missions will be a game changer for end users. For oil and gas companies, voltage network owners, and wind turbine and railway operators that scan and monitor infrastructures such as pipelines, railroad tracks and solar panel fields, the solution will significantly reduce malfunctions, lessen environmental pollution, prevent human casualties and save costs. Individual farmers and cooperatives for precision farming will be able to obtain a lot of data on crops and identify pests and diseases early on. This should lead to a considerable increase in produce. The drone will assist emergency services, border patrol and coast guards by quickly reaching disaster areas or missions and reporting back in real time. It will also scan and detect people and objects for infrastructure security.

Project coordinator Colugo Systems has started a pilot project with a large gas company. Two drones are carrying out flights to detect gas leaks. “Locating leaks at an early stage will lower air pollutant emissions and protect the environment while also reducing costs,” says Zwang.

Reference source: The Game Changer Free-wing VTOL Drone for Commercial and Governmental Missions

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