New Tethered UAV Platform Introduced for US Army UGVs

By Mike Ball / 22 Apr 2020
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Sky Sapience HoverMast-Lite tethered drone

Sky Sapience has introduced the company’s newest-generation tethered UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) platform, HoverMast-Lite. The two new models are smaller, lighter versions of Sky Sapience’s flagship HoverMast platform, and are designed to be used in conjunction with small UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) participating in the U.S. Army’s RCV (Robotic Combat Vehicle) and SMET (Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport) programs.

The new HM-L systems maintain the capabilities of the original HoverMast product line including 100m hovering altitude, 24/7 autonomous operation, resistance to harsh weather, fiber optic communication, cyber-protection, and operation in GPS-denied environments. In addition to this, the tethered drones also meet the size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements of the RCV and SMET programs.

The HoverMast-Lite’s unique design enables the tethered drone and its sensors to be deployed without interfering with the operation of the ground vehicle. The drones does not occupy the main payload bay of the vehicle, allowing it to remain available for additional equipment and sensors. The HoverMast-Lite has a carrying capacity of up to 6kg, and can be fitted with a wide variety of payloads including CCD/IR cameras, radars, lasers, cellular and mesh communication devices, hyperspectral sensors and cyber systems. Both drone and payload can be intuitively controlled and monitored from a single ruggedized Human- Machine Interface (UHMI).

Gabriel Shachor, founder and CEO of Sky Sapience, commented: “We’re excited to be offering a fully compatible tethered UAV platform for the RCV and SMET programs. As the sole producer of mobile, operational experienced tethered machines, Sky Sapience has a unique advantage when answering the governments’ calls for increasingly innovative and adaptive technologies to support their endeavors in robotics and beyond. We hope to serve the leading forces with the HoverMast-Lite innovative technology.”

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Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact
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