The future of commercial drone and military drone use is likely to hinge on the development of technology allowing simultaneous flight of multiple drones, with each UAV being able to communicate with its mates as well as the operator on the ground, in order to successfully complete a mission.
Red Cat Holdings recently announced the launch of its version of a multi-drone system. The company says its 4-Ship software, marks the first time a commercial company has brought such a system to market. The product, which will be commercially available some time this fall, is expected to have widespread applications for military and police as well as future uses in commercial markets.
Developed by Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones, and in close cooperation with its strategic partner, autonomous system developer Autonodyne LLC, Red Cat will offer the multi-vehicle package in two configurations: 4-Ship and 4-Ship+. Both configurations will allow a single pilot to simultaneously control up to four of Teal’s Golden Eagle UAVs. The Golden Eagle is the first drone mass-produced entirely in the U.S. under strict guidelines from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The 4-Ship system will allow a single pilot to control multiple drones, which will act in coordination with one another, greatly reducing the amount of time to complete a mission and virtually eliminating down time needed for battery changes, the company said.
“The real cost for government or for commercial operations is the cost of the pilot; it’s people’s time and we’re very sensitive to that,” Red Cat COO Allan Evans said in an interview. “What we always want to try to do is unlock the potential of the operator rather than unlock the potential of the airframe.”
Pending FAA approval of commercial multi-drone applications, the new system would allow an operator to survey a field in less than a quarter of the time of performing the same task with a single drone. In military and police usage, the 4-Ship system would prove invaluable in situations requiring constant monitoring of a scene, such as in a hostage situation, Evans said.
Continue reading: https://dronelife.com/2022/06/22/red-cat-4-ship-one-pilot-four-drones-will-a-multi-drone-system-be-the-new-normal/
Red Cat Holdings recently announced the launch of its version of a multi-drone system. The company says its 4-Ship software, marks the first time a commercial company has brought such a system to market. The product, which will be commercially available some time this fall, is expected to have widespread applications for military and police as well as future uses in commercial markets.
Developed by Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones, and in close cooperation with its strategic partner, autonomous system developer Autonodyne LLC, Red Cat will offer the multi-vehicle package in two configurations: 4-Ship and 4-Ship+. Both configurations will allow a single pilot to simultaneously control up to four of Teal’s Golden Eagle UAVs. The Golden Eagle is the first drone mass-produced entirely in the U.S. under strict guidelines from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The 4-Ship system will allow a single pilot to control multiple drones, which will act in coordination with one another, greatly reducing the amount of time to complete a mission and virtually eliminating down time needed for battery changes, the company said.
“The real cost for government or for commercial operations is the cost of the pilot; it’s people’s time and we’re very sensitive to that,” Red Cat COO Allan Evans said in an interview. “What we always want to try to do is unlock the potential of the operator rather than unlock the potential of the airframe.”
Pending FAA approval of commercial multi-drone applications, the new system would allow an operator to survey a field in less than a quarter of the time of performing the same task with a single drone. In military and police usage, the 4-Ship system would prove invaluable in situations requiring constant monitoring of a scene, such as in a hostage situation, Evans said.
Continue reading: https://dronelife.com/2022/06/22/red-cat-4-ship-one-pilot-four-drones-will-a-multi-drone-system-be-the-new-normal/
