An Israeli firm, Steadicopter Ltd., has announced that development of the first fully autonomous robotic helicopter has been completed and it is now available for purchase. The company is marketing the drone to military purchasers.
Designed for surveillance, the helicopter flies without a pilot or remote control and can be outfitted with different types of cameras for reconnaissance from up to 13 kilometers away. The price is about 125 thousand dollars for the helicopter - which can carry up to 18 kilograms of video equipment and is five feet long - a camera and the launch platform.
Steadicopter business development manager Amir Rochman noted that the aircraft also has civilian uses, such as high-voltage cable inspection and news photography, although there are no current plans to make the helicopter available for private purchase.
"The system is designed for surveillance and control of designated areas, and provides real-time information to the command center for passing on to the operating ground forces. The helicopter is equipped with stabilized flight control systems, cameras for day and night vision and receivers/transmitters for real time operation and monitoring. The ground control system is composed of a PC with navigation and flight control software that enables the operator to guide the helicopter to the location of the event using a digital map or an aerial image of the area," explained Rochman.
Steadicopter, founded in 1999, is a graduate of the prestigious TEIC (Technion Entrepreneurial Incubator Company) which is a entrepreneurial program located in Haifa that has received grants from the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Last year, the Steadicopter prototype was stolen – presumably by someone who wanted to copy it – from the firm's plant in Kfar Maccabi, near Tel Aviv. No money or computer software was taken during the break-in, leading the company to suspect industrial espionage.
Designed for surveillance, the helicopter flies without a pilot or remote control and can be outfitted with different types of cameras for reconnaissance from up to 13 kilometers away. The price is about 125 thousand dollars for the helicopter - which can carry up to 18 kilograms of video equipment and is five feet long - a camera and the launch platform.
Steadicopter business development manager Amir Rochman noted that the aircraft also has civilian uses, such as high-voltage cable inspection and news photography, although there are no current plans to make the helicopter available for private purchase.
"The system is designed for surveillance and control of designated areas, and provides real-time information to the command center for passing on to the operating ground forces. The helicopter is equipped with stabilized flight control systems, cameras for day and night vision and receivers/transmitters for real time operation and monitoring. The ground control system is composed of a PC with navigation and flight control software that enables the operator to guide the helicopter to the location of the event using a digital map or an aerial image of the area," explained Rochman.
Steadicopter, founded in 1999, is a graduate of the prestigious TEIC (Technion Entrepreneurial Incubator Company) which is a entrepreneurial program located in Haifa that has received grants from the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Last year, the Steadicopter prototype was stolen – presumably by someone who wanted to copy it – from the firm's plant in Kfar Maccabi, near Tel Aviv. No money or computer software was taken during the break-in, leading the company to suspect industrial espionage.