Aerosense has just unveiled footage of a camera drone shaped like an airplane capable of flying for over two hours at a maximum speed of 106 miles an hour.
The AS-MCO1-P looks like a traditional a quadcopter, but it is smaller and lighter, and unlike other quadcopters that fly up like a helicopter the Aerosense project flies like a plane.
It features a camera, GPS and navigation system.
The drone is reportedly capable of carrying objects that weigh up to 10kg, but it will be primarily used for surveying, observing and inspecting.
Flight experiment of VTOL by Aerosense Inc.
Aerosense was officially established on August 3. It is a joint venture between Sony and the Tokyo-based startup ZMP, which specializes in autopilot technology.
The drones will be piloted automatically based on input from users about which areas they want surveyed.
Hisashi Taniguchi, chief executive of Aerospace and ZMP, told the WSJ:
“By making it automated, drones will be considerably safer because many of accidents today are caused by human errors.”
Hisashi Taniguchi said the company is aiming for $82.6 million in revenue by 2020.
Drones are one of the major growth areas in electronics and the technology necessary to sustain stable flight has become cheaper, which is making them a lot more viable. Tech giant such as Amazon and Google are also exploring ways to use drones for package delivery.
