Revolutionary Indoor Drone Developed

Revolutionary Indoor Drone Developed

Members of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program used the 102nd Intelligence Wing's hangar to test small UAVs in an indoor, controlled environment.

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Currently, the landscape of drone-based security and imaging services is lacking precision. A new drone developed by Vtrus technology start-up can now, for the first time, thoroughly scan every inch of an intricate indoor environment. The ABI Zero drone system’s combination of autonomous navigation, simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) software, and computer vision seem to make it an ideal solution for clients requiring 3D mapping and inspections of large indoor environments, in real time.

The drone essentially takes off from its launchpad (which serves as a charging station) and immediately begins to navigate and map its environment, all without the need for GPS. The drone can fly 10 minutes per charge, with the data it collects being relayed to your computer via Wi-Fi and the Vtrus cloud service in real time.

The autonomous inspection drone is currently targeted at commercial clients eager to maximize their businesses by reducing manual inspection times and unnecessary expenditures while increasing accurate inventory assessment (in factories and warehouses, for example). For these purposes, the ABI Zero could soon become a top-tier option for those in need of a thorough indoor mapping solution, according to TechCrunch.

However, ABI Zero’s technological potential may reach beyond commercial purposes. High-intensity urban warfare poses challenges which may be alleviated with the help of ABI Zero. The enemy defender generally has the advantage in urban combat and may hide within the protection of buildings. Narrow movement corridors produce dead space and require attacking forces to be prepared to engage threats not just to their front, but from every direction.

As many already believe, drone swarms are the future of the drone’s battlefield evolution. They can contribute in providing concealment and protection for the attacking forces, as well as fly around a building and see in every window, door and rooftop. Emphasis on reliable and detailed indoor mapping and detection of movements in real-time, however, is where ABI Zero’s contribution can be made to alleviate the fundamental challenges of urban warfare.