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  • T3
    Krzysztof Bosak August 27, 2010 at 6:08am
    'How are small UAVs being put to use in the real world?"
    Depends on how small is small. I believe sub-5kg thing can carry mostly passive sensors, so it ends at photography or atmospheric research.
    I cannot imagine dropping anything useful (or even dangerous enough to be considered national security hazard) from small UAS, they are just too small.
    I believe realtime video/surveillance and realtime waypoint adjustment is too user-absorbing in civilian applications, except when you fly multicopter in RC assisted mode 200m away.
    Therefore I would say all realistic commercial apps limit to photography+mapping. This leaves 50% complexity for flying and shooting, and another 50% for data processing (unless we accept single photos and approximative maps, then we got only 5-10% effort on data processing).
  • Paul Marsh August 27, 2010 at 5:39am
    How are small UAVs being put to use in the real world? What are the practical, commercial applications?
  • Mike August 27, 2010 at 2:39am
    A UAV with a definite purpose - fantastic!
  • Marco Glattfelder August 27, 2010 at 2:36am
    The reason of the size is that RC models under 500g don't go under the swiss uav legislation. You can virtually do what you want. Over that weight you need a permanent rc link and keep the plane in LOS. They cashed about 100'000$ as prize for something like "best start-up" of the year. The unfair part is that it's a spin of of the EPFL (the swiss technology institute in Lausanne). So I guess they have done a lot of pre-work within the institute resp get support from there (with MY taxes money!). But beside that it's a good work and rock solid swiss engineering: They use materials that last and can be used daily.
  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer August 27, 2010 at 1:37am
    Real time video is not what the real market wants, a nice man told me that at a conference recently

    This wing is bang on target.
  • Jason Lyons August 27, 2010 at 1:31am
    Very nice... although I think a version with real-time video transmission would probably be more popular.

    20km range is impressive though for an airframe of that size.
  • Moderator
    Robert Krogh (hooks) August 26, 2010 at 11:54pm
    I Love it!
  • Ho-Chung Chang August 26, 2010 at 9:30pm
    Nice plane, It looks very friendly for user.
    I like shake 3X take-off function.
  • Dustin Romero August 26, 2010 at 8:11pm
    very nice, i want one :)
  • Rana August 26, 2010 at 7:18pm
    Superb ! Wonderful !
    http://www.sensefly.com/

    Technical specs
    Camera: 12MP
    Wingspan: 80cm
    Weight: 500g
    Speed: 30-50km/h

    Endurance: 30min
    Operational range: up to 20km
    Data link: up to 2km
    Can operate in winds up to 25km/h
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