Friday, October 11, 2024
Industry update

Airobot builds entirely cloud-based, automated BVLOS drones from Acecore Platforms

Airobot, an end-to-end solution provider, has recently introduced their proprietary Airobot Zmapper drone. The company, working from the DronePort incubator, is the first to release a fully operational product based on Acecore’s Developer Kit drone platforms.

Airobot is a hard- and software development company from Belgium who made it their mission to develop truly end-to-end solutions for BVLOS aerial data collection and transportation purposes. They are not drone builders, and were consequently looking for a robust platform to build upon. Recently, the company has finalised the development of their first industrial solution: the Airobot Zmapper. A 4G enabled autonomous flying robot that will go out and collect mapping data with sub 1cm/ px accuracy.

Never an excuse not to fly

All weather capability was a deciding factor for Airobot when looking for a robust drone platform to integrate their electronics and software with. Leyssens explained Airobot’s vision: “there should never be an excuse not to fly. Rain, wind and dust should not obstruct our autonomous drones from taking off and carrying out their mission, controlled and monitored through a computer anywhere in the world”. The Acecore Zoe, on which the Airobot systems are based, is rated to operate in up to 9mm/h downfall and more than 17 m/s wind gusts.

AiroCore

Airobot built the solution around their AiroCore carrier board, which houses the orange Cube flight controller, extra realtime CPU’s for flight control, payload management computer, professional RTK receiver and redundant power supply to enable safe autonomous BVLOS flights. Thanks to the amount of interior space available on the Acecore Zoe developers kit, this piece of critical electronics is temperature controlled and protected from the elements inside the drone’s custom 3D printed undercarriage.

Fully programmable

“The Partnership with Acecore is mutually benefitial” continues Jan Leyssens. “by combining the Acecore Zoe with our AiroCore we have created a fully programmable 4G BVLOS platform which goes beyond mapping applications. For example, we can provide other custom solution developers with a direct IP link to their payload, together with RTK GPS position information and power. So they can focus on developing their application.”

Like Airobot, many electronic and software companies don’t want to be a drone manufacturer, yet they need a drone platform to be able to develop and eventually commercialize their aerial solution. The Acecore Developer program support this demand, supplying third party developers with the scalable and robust OEM drones tailored to their needs.

Jan Leyssens, Managing Director at Airobot:

“We were looking for a partner to supply us with a robust drone platform. We found that partner in Acecore.”

More information and contact options can be found at developer.acecoretechnologies.com

Wiebe de Jager

Wiebe de Jager is the founder of Dronewatch (available in Dutch and English). Wiebe is an experienced drone pilot (EASA Specific category certified) and has published a number of bestselling books about drone photography and cinematography.

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