Think of a drone and chances are you picture a small X-shaped device with four propellers, often used by hobbyists to take video footage of the landscape. But unmanned aerial vehicles come in a host of configurations and sizes.
One of the latest versions is a light cargo drone with a 3m fixed wing that resembles a light aircraft. It can take off like a plane in just 15 metres or vertically like a helicopter, and carry the equivalent of 12 parcels in a container the size of a bathtub.
“It’s light, but it’s big too,” remarks Etienne Louvet, founder of IONA which has manufactured both hardware and software for the aerial vehicle. Large payloads can be carried, he explains, due to an energy efficient mechanism called a tilt rotor.
“The drone takes off vertically, and then the propellers and motors transition to allow horizontal flight; much like a glider – which uses very little power. We can transport up to 20kg over 100km using 0.9kWh of battery packs, similar to an electric bicycle.”