Freefly Systems Unveils New Astro Drone Variant, Teases Future Products

Freefly Systems, a leading American drone manufacturer, has announced a new variant of their popular Astro drone, featuring NDAA-compliant radios. The company also hinted at upcoming product releases and innovations during a recent interview on the PIXL Drone Show.

New Astro Variant with NDAA-Compliant Radios

Freefly Systems has introduced a new radio variant for their Astro drone, utilizing Doodle Labs 2.4 GHz radios that are NDAA-compliant. This development has earned the drone a spot on the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue List, opening up new opportunities in the federal government sector.

Matt Isenbarger from Freefly Systems explained, “We have lots of new fun technology to talk about today. The latest thing that we’ve recently announced for Astro is a new radio variant that uses Doodle Labs 2.4 GHz radios. Those are NDAA-compliant, and we’ve got it blue-listed by the Defense Innovation Unit.”

Interchangeable Payloads and Accessories

The company has also made significant strides in payload compatibility and interoperability. Isenbarger highlighted the addition of various approved payloads to the DIU framework, including cameras, gimbals, batteries, and remote controllers. This development allows for easier swapping between configurations and promotes interoperability with other compliant systems.

One of the notable new payloads is the Sony LR1 camera, designed specifically for drone use. Isenbarger stated, “We’ve just updated that payload in our gimbal. Same 61-megapixel sensor, but it’s really intended for drones now. They removed a bunch of things that reduce the weight and give us an extra four or five minutes of flight time.”

Autonomous Flight Capabilities

Freefly Systems has integrated the Innoceint Hovermap LiDAR system into the Astro drone, enabling autonomous flight and obstacle avoidance. This addition allows the drone to create real-time 3D maps of its surroundings and navigate through complex environments without GPS.

“It provides autonomy for Astro,” Isenbarger explained. “Astro now has complete obstacle avoidance and collision avoidance with this payload on there. It’s creating a map of its surroundings in real-time and navigating through that map without running into anything.”

Future Product Teases

While remaining tight-lipped about specific details, Isenbarger hinted at future product releases and innovations. He mentioned the possibility of a smaller drone, a fixed-wing VTOL aircraft, and a model between the Astro and Alta X in terms of payload capacity.

“There’s lots of things that we’re exploring in terms of aircraft, lots of things that we’re exploring in terms of payloads,” Isenbarger teased. “We’re going to share some of those new products here on August 22nd at our annual Freefly Fest.”

DroneXL’s Take

Freefly Systems’ latest announcements demonstrate their commitment to innovation and meeting the evolving needs of the professional drone market. The new NDAA-compliant Astro variant positions the company to compete more effectively in the government sector, while the focus on payload interoperability and autonomous flight capabilities showcases their dedication to user-centric design.

The upcoming Freefly Fest event on August 22nd in Carnation, Washington, promises to be an exciting showcase of new products and technologies. As the drone industry continues to evolve, Freefly Systems appears well-positioned to maintain its status as a leading American manufacturer in the professional and enterprise drone space.