One of the premier drone conferences, AUVSI Xponential, took place from August 16 to 19 in Atlanta, convening over 200 exhibitors from drones, robotics, and all things unmanned. While Spot, the robot dog from Boston Dynamics stole the headlines, there were two new drones which caught our eye. Here’s some more of what you missed.
Parrot Goes 4G
That’s right. Parrot drones will now connect like a cell phone to help tackle one of the final frontiers of drone flight: range.
Parrot partnered with Skyward, a Verizon company, to take their 4G-enabled drones and connect them to cellular networks. ANAFI Ai itself does not require a subscription. Although, the drone does require a SIM card (which doesn’t need to be Verizon) to connect and fly.
The ANAFI Ai is the first drone to use 4G as the main data link between the drone and the operator. This means users will no longer experience transmission limitations. This has the potential to become a huge step for the drone industry. It allows for easier accessibility to long-term flights and missions.
For Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights, the ANAFI will stay connected even behind obstacles. This is similar to a phone call or mobile video stream because it won’t drop when behind buildings, in tunnels, or behind other obstructions to the signal. ANAFI Ai will be available in late 2021 through Parrot’s Drone Enterprise Partners and its Enterprise Drone Reseller Network.
Goodbye LEMUR, Hello LEMUR S
The BRINC LEMUR is an indoor, tactical UAV for public safety. The LEMUR was built for complex indoor missions. It has features like the glass-breaker, turtle mode, two-way communication, night mode, and more.
There is little public information currently available on the new S model of the LEMUR. Although, I was able to catch up with Angad Singh, Director of Business Development BRINC.
“BRINC’s LEMUR S is a refined version of the LEMUR. As a new company, we brought an awesome product to market, but we also learned a lot from our initial customers,” Angad shared.
BRINC has worked hard to make the hardware more polished, add better flight authority, increased battery life, a stronger frame, and create greater overall customer experience. Angad also mentioned that initial BRINC LEMUR customers will be able to get a free LEMUR S by swapping out their original LEMUR.
Final Thoughts
Adorama is thrilled to be a BRINC partner, and an authorized dealer of BRINC systems. Make sure to subscribe to Adorama’s mailing list to stay updated on the official announcement of the LEMUR S, spec list, and more.
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