Auterion and Freefly Systems have launched the Astro Enterprise Drone Solution, combining their respective expertise in hardware and software to develop a multi-use enterprise UAS (unmanned aerial system) for applications such as utilities, telco, infrastructure, drone service providers and first responders. The Astro is ideal for enterprise and government customers looking for a capable workhorse platform that can capture media, automate processes, and streamline data flows through Auterion’s enterprise-ready software platform.
The Astro features flight endurance of up to 30 minutes with a 2 lb payload, supporting more than nine different payload options including Sony’s 60-megapixel A7R4 camera. The weatherproof drone system folds into a backpack and is cloud-connected, using 4G LTE connectivity for online workflows that provide fleet management, predictive maintenance, geotagging and more. The platform is built around the Auterion Skynode reference design and is powered by Auterion Enterprise PX4 software on board.
Freefly has 10 years of experience in developing drone hardware systems with thousands of tested flight hours. The team behind Auterion has been developing software for drones for over 10 years, and provides an ecosystem of payloads and radio links, expertise in connected workflows for enterprises, while driving open standards to support innovation and scalability within the industry.
Tabb Firchau, CEO of Freefly, commented: “Partnering with Auterion to bring the Astro to market allowed us to aim much higher than we could have on our own. As a small self-funded startup of 35 people, we have huge ambitions and often end up having to cut scope from the end product. Working with Auterion allowed us to deliver even more than we originally planned. The open architecture and collaborative nature at Auterion enabled several key pivots during the product development process, ultimately landing on a product that is more flexible, efficient, and ultra adaptable.”
Neal Manowitz, Deputy President of Imaging Product and Solutions Americas for Sony Electronics, said: “Sony is excited about Auterion-Freefly team’s usage of our new SDK to integrate the Alpha 7R IV full-frame camera into their new enterprise drone system. We will continue to evolve our software to meet the growing demands of commercial clients, ultimately allowing them to capture, measure and create in ways never before possible.”
Lorenz Meier, Auterion co-founder and CEO, stated: “The release of Astro is the culmination of more than a decade of work to make open source the default in the commercial drone industry. Auterion Enterprise PX4 is giving businesses a trusted, known base and better integrations than any of the proprietary alternatives.”
