Quadcopter Drones

Find Quadcopter Drone manufacturers and suppliers, including industrial quadcopters UAV and quadcopters with cameras for survey and surveillance
Overview Quadcopter Drones
By Staff Writer Last updated: March 24th, 2025

Quadcopter Drones

What is a Quadcopter Drone and how does it work?

A quadcopter is a multirotor drone with four arms or booms, each with a rotor (hence “quad copter”). Multirotor drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with multiple rotors that are used to generate lift to enable the aircraft to fly. The working principle is that one pair of rotors turns clockwise and the other anti-clockwise, and by varying the speeds it is possible to generate thrust as well as turning motions.

Zoe portable quadcopter VTOL drone
Acecore Zoe portable quadcopter VTOL drone

Quadcopters are VTOL drones, meaning they are capable of vertical take-off and landing (“VTOL”). This is ideal for situations where launch space is restricted, for example if launching and landing is required to take place on a vessel at sea. The ability to hover in place gives an advantage over fixed-wing drones and aircraft for small-scale surveillance and reconnaissance.

Many quadcopter UAV are gyro-stabilised to allow them to fly smoothly even in windy conditions. An IMU (inertial measurement unit) detects changes in the yaw, pitch and roll of the drone and sends data to a flight controller, which adjusts the output to the quad rotors to achieve the desired outcome.

Applications

Quadcopters are typically simpler in construction and cheaper and easier to fly than unmanned helicopter drones, making them an ideal choice for certain commercial drone applications such as surveying and aerial photography. They can also be used for drone deliveries and have already been used to provide medical supplies in both remote and urban areas.

Quadcopter drones are used in a wide range of professional applications, with the drone and payload specifically chosen to suit the application type. Industrial quadcopters are used in applications such as pipeline and infrastructure inspection; agricultural quadcopters can be used for crop monitoring; and survey-grade quadcopters with high-resolution cameras and/or LiDAR technology can be used for mapping, surveillance and surveying applications.

BB4 quadcopter drone for mapping
CHC Navigation's BB4 quadcopter drone for mapping

Size and Endurance

Quadcopter sizes range from mini quadcopters which are not much more than an inch square, to professional quadcopter systems measuring two to three feet in diameter. There tends to be an upper limit on the size of frames as more volume means more weight, which requires more power to lift – there is then a trade-off between battery weight and size versus flight endurance.

The typical flight time of a battery-powered quadcopter UAV is around 30 minutes. New designs have managed to extend this by incorporating battery cells into the majority of the structure. Hydrogen fuel cells, providing a greater energy density than batteries, can also be affixed to larger quadcopters to extend flight endurance.

long-range hybrid VTOL UAV
Aerial Response Solutions' long-range hybrid VTOL UAV

Cameras and Aerial Imaging

Aerial imaging is the most popular application for quadcopter UAV, and many quadcopter manufacturers offer packages pairing multirotors with a specific camera payloads. These cameras may be integrated into multi-axis gimbals that allow the camera to be moved during flight and also reduce the effects of vibration.

Video and still image camera payloads can offer powerful optical and digital zoom capabilities to professional quadcopter drones, with 4K video and still image resolutions in the tens of megapixels, making them ideal for tactical and professional applications such as surveillance and industrial inspection. Some also offer FPV (First Person View) capabilities, in which low-latency video is fed back to the pilot via 4G/LTE to a screen or headset. FPV quadcopters are often used in the sport of drone racing.

Many imaging systems feature a range of intelligent flight modes to enhance functionality, such as following the operator, active target tracking, and autonomous following of waypoints.

Products (47)

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ATLAS 204 A20

Compact and rapidly-deployable multipurpose quadcopter UAS

Compact and rapidly-deployable multipurpose quadcopter UAS
... ATLAS 204 A20 quadcopter UAS is ALTUS LSA's smallest drone platform, designed to require only a...
UMAR

All-weather tethered UAS for aerial relay & maritime ISR

All-weather tethered UAS for aerial relay & maritime ISR
UMAR (Unmanned Multirotor Aerial Relay) is a tethered UAS designed for seamless integration with nav...
LANTERN

Tethered UAS for persistent ISR & mobile deployment

Tethered UAS for persistent ISR & mobile deployment
The LANTERN is a tethered UAS that is designed to be seamlessly integrated into mobile platforms suc...
VULTURE

Tethered maritime UAS for persistent BLOS command & control

Tethered maritime UAS for persistent BLOS command & control
The VULTURE is a tethered UAS that has been specifically designed for naval and maritime operations,...
ScanLift Mini

Compact quadcopter drone with versatile payload capabilities

Compact quadcopter drone with versatile payload capabilities
...e and foldable quadcopter designed for applications that prioritise portability and rapid...
ScanLift M Series

Medium- to heavy-lift quadcopter with four- and eight-rotor configurations

Medium- to heavy-lift quadcopter with four- and eight-rotor configurations
The ScanLift M Series is a professional medium- to heavy-lift multirotor UAS that allows professiona...
Black Widow Multirotor UAS

Portable sUAS for short-range ISR & electronic warfare

Portable sUAS for short-range ISR & electronic warfare
... UAS-certified drone system is part of Red Cat's Arachnid Family of Systems, which has been...
BVQ418 Multirotor UAV

Portable AI-powered quadcopter drone with 5G connectivity

Portable AI-powered quadcopter drone with 5G connectivity
...8 is a Class 3 quadcopter UAS featuring a revolutionary combination of AI-powered capabilities and...
Teal 2 Quadcopter Drone

Blue UAS-approved drone with high-resolution thermal imaging

Blue UAS-approved drone with high-resolution thermal imaging
The Teal 2 is a cutting-edge multirotor UAV that is designed, built, and serviced in the USA and is ...
IF800 Tomcat Medium-lift Quadcopter Drone

Portable quadcopter for industry professionals, enterprise users, and first responders

Portable quadcopter for industry professionals, enterprise users, and first responders
...... enterprise users, and first responders, the IF800 TOMCAT sets a new standard in drone... ...I’s M300 drones. Its state-of-the-art technology and steadfast commitment to national security...
Khronos

All-in-one tethered drone-in-a-box solution

All-in-one tethered drone-in-a-box solution
... an all-in-one drone-in-a-box system that is designed for both fixed and mobile applications and is...
Sensus M4-E

A high-efficiency, medium-sized multirotor UAV system.

A high-efficiency, medium-sized multirotor UAV system.
The Sensus M4-E is a variant of the Sensus M platform featuring four motors and a dual 6S 16Ah batte...
Sensus M4-H2

A hydrogen-powered, medium-sized multirotor UAV system.

A hydrogen-powered, medium-sized multirotor UAV system.
The Sensus M4-H2 is a variant of the Sensus M platform and is a Hydrogen-powered medium-sized multir...
Sensus M4-P

A powerful, medium-sized, modular multirotor COTS/MOTS system.

A powerful, medium-sized, modular multirotor COTS/MOTS system.
The Sensus M4-P is a variant of the rugged Sensus M platform and is a powerful, medium-sized multiro...
Sensus M8-XE

A high-efficiency medium-sized multirotor UAV system with coaxial motors.

A high-efficiency medium-sized multirotor UAV system with coaxial motors.
The Sensus M8-XE is a variant of the Sensus M platform and is a high-efficiency, medium-sized multir...
Sensus M8-XP

A powerful, medium-sized multirotor UAV system with coaxial motors.

A powerful, medium-sized multirotor UAV system with coaxial motors.
The Sensus M8-XP features eight coaxial motors and a dual 6S 16Ah, 22Ah or 25Ah battery pack. It is ...
Sensus L4-H2

A large, hydrogen-powered, multirotor UAV.

A large, hydrogen-powered, multirotor UAV.
The Sensus L4-H2 is a variant of the Sensus L platform featuring four motors and an Intelligent Ener...
Sensus L4-E

A high-efficiency, large-sized multirotor UAV system.

A high-efficiency, large-sized multirotor UAV system.
The Sensus L4-E is a variant of the Sensus L platform featuring four motors and a dual 12S 16Ah batt...
C100 Heavy-Lift Quadcopter

Foldable long-endurance heavy payload drone

Foldable long-endurance heavy payload drone
...ble heavy-lift quadcopter platform that features world-leading flight endurance, capable of missions...
X8 Heavy-Duty Multirotor Drone

Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications

Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications
...d conventional drones. The UAV platform design is based on several thousand hours of operational...
UVH-170 Unmanned Helicopter

Drone helicopter with 4-stroke gasoline engine

Drone helicopter with 4-stroke gasoline engine
The UVH 170 is a four-stroke gasoline engine-powered unmanned helicopter specially designed with i...
Patron FPV

FPV Quadcopter UAS platform for pilot training & strike missions

FPV Quadcopter UAS platform for pilot training & strike missions
...y maneuverable quadcopter drone platform that is ideal for training on autonomous and remotely...
Stribog

Foldable quadcopter drone with software-defined architecture for flexible ISR

Foldable quadcopter drone with software-defined architecture for flexible ISR
... is a powerful quadcopter UAS with up to 40 TOPS of AI computing power and a software-defined open...
Pro2

Advanced autonomous drone for wind inspection

Advanced autonomous drone for wind inspection
...ced autonomous drone inspection platform designed specifically for the wind energy sector....
AiDEN

Compact autonomous drone with advanced computer vision

Compact autonomous drone with advanced computer vision
...om traditional drones that rely on bulky LiDAR sensors. Instead, it leverages Nearthlab’s patented...
X500 Multirotor Drone

Professional-grade drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance

Professional-grade drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance
...a professional drone engineered for exceptional payload capacity and endurance. Equipped with...
Stictia NUAS

Nano unmanned aerial system for covert ISR missions

Nano unmanned aerial system for covert ISR missions
...ayload for the drone. The miniature UAS provides mission endurance of up to 20 minutes, and includes...
Falconet Counter-UAS

Aerial counter-drone system with ballistic countermeasures

Aerial counter-drone system with ballistic countermeasures
...ange of modern drone threats, particularly at low altitudes and high speeds. Featuring sophisticated...
Piglet MUAS

Medium unmanned aerial system with built-in ballistics calculator

Medium unmanned aerial system with built-in ballistics calculator
...large-capacity drone can carry a weapons systems such as rifles and grenade launchers, and...
M.U.L.E. UAV

Heavy-lift VTOL UAV for land-based & maritime logistics

Heavy-lift VTOL UAV for land-based & maritime logistics
M.U.L.E. (Multi-Mission, Utility, Logistics, & Expedition) is a heavy-lift VTOL UAV platform designe...
Crow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Versatile and rapidly deployable water-resistant sUAS

Versatile and rapidly deployable water-resistant sUAS
Crow is a small unmanned aerial vehicle platform designed to be cost-effective, user-friendly, and e...
Zoe M4 Quadcopter

Portable military-grade drone with 80x zoom EO/IR gimbal

Portable military-grade drone with 80x zoom EO/IR gimbal
...M4 is a rugged quadcopter drone specifically designed for military, security and emergency response... ...NDAA-compliant quadcopter is equipped with the state-of-the-art NextVision Raptor X80 EO/IR,...
WISPR SkyScout Quadcopter Drone

Professional multirotor drone for surveying, construction and inspection

Professional multirotor drone for surveying, construction and inspection
...ighly portable quadcopter drone designed to fulfil the needs of a wide range of professional...
FB3 Heavy-Lift Multirotor Drone

All-electric heavy payload UAV with 100 kg carrying capacity

All-electric heavy payload UAV with 100 kg carrying capacity
...avy-lift cargo drone with an unmatched combination of carrying capacity and compact size. Able to...
SkyInspector Drone

Long Range Quadcopter for inspection & surveillance

Long Range Quadcopter for inspection & surveillance
...gh-reliability quadcopter drone platform designed for industrial inspection and security...
Huntress – All Weather Drone

Versatile wind-resistant quadcopter drone

Versatile wind-resistant quadcopter drone
...atile electric quadcopter with redundant battery systems, designed to undertake a wide range of...
Falcon II Quadcopter

All-weather, versatile, high-wind resistance multi-copter designed for exceptional performance

All-weather, versatile, high-wind resistance multi-copter designed for exceptional performance
...n all-electric quadcopter drone specially designed for the needs of law enforcement and emergency...
Huntress II VTOL Turbojet

Hybrid electric turbojet drone with heavy payload capacity

Hybrid electric turbojet drone with heavy payload capacity
The world's fastest multirotor UAS, WaveAerospace's Huntress Turbojet unmanned platform, emerged fro...
Falcon II Nyx Electric Quadcopter

Tactical UAS for Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance

Tactical UAS for Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance
...cally shielded quadcopter capable of 1 hour of flight time. The Nyx was purposely designed for...
M1200 Multirotor Drone

Long endurance large payload industrial drone

Long endurance large payload industrial drone
The M1200, designed for surveying and 3D mapping, has the capabilities to fly for over 70 minutes wi...
M690Pro Quadcopter

Long endurance multi-functional UAV

Long endurance multi-functional UAV
...long endurance quadcopter in a portable backpack design capable of flying up to 55 minutes with a...
M690B Multirotor Drone

Industrial quadcoptor designed to support a wide range of operations

Industrial quadcoptor designed to support a wide range of operations
...90B multirotor drone with a smart battery features a lightweight design with long endurance...
Zoe Zetona – professional multirotor drone

Lightweight commercial drone with front-mounted payload

Lightweight commercial drone with front-mounted payload
...loy multirotor drone based on the proven Zoe platform. It features a unique 2-axis gimbal that...
WISPR Ranger Pro Industrial Quadcopter

Rugged quadcopter with versatile payload capabilities

Rugged quadcopter with versatile payload capabilities
...00 is a rugged quadcopter platform that provides a flight time of up to 38 minutes and a carrying...
BB4 – LiDAR Mapping Drone

Advanced mapping and survey UAV for LiDAR or photogrammetry

Advanced mapping and survey UAV for LiDAR or photogrammetry
The BB4 is a high-end unmanned aircraft system resulting from an alliance between the two industry l...
Black Swift E2 Inspection Quadcopter UAS

Autonomous quadcopter aerial inspection drone

Autonomous quadcopter aerial inspection drone
...is an advanced quadcopter drone that has been specifically engineered for high-accuracy, up-close...
Acecore Zoe Quadcopter

Portable quadcopter for high wind inspection, security and mapping.

Portable quadcopter for high wind inspection, security and mapping.
...ighly portable quadcopter drone with a foldable design for easy transportation and deployment. With...

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Vantage Robotics

State-Of-The-Art NDAA-Compliant Drones & Ground Control Stations for Mission-Critical Operations

Volatus Aerospace

Drone Technology Supplier & Drone Service Provider for Public Safety, Transportation & Training

Gold Partners
Altus LSA

Innovative Turnkey UAS Solutions for Mission-Critical Civilian & Defense Applications

Dragonfly Pictures

Revolutionary Tethered Unmanned Aerial Systems for Tactical, Commercial & Industrial Applications

Red Cat Holdings

Advanced Aerial Intelligence & Situational Awareness Technologies for Military, Security & Civilian Applications

Inspired Flight

Professional, US-Made Multirotor Drones for Commercial & Government Applications

Beyond Vision

Fully Autonomous Multirotor Drones & Hybrid VTOL UAVs With AI Capabilities

ISS Aerospace

Autonomous Drone Design, Manufacturing and Operations For Wide Area Actionable UAS Intelligence

Performance Drone Works (PDW)

High-Performance Autonomous Drones for Mission-Critical Civilian & Military Applications

Xer Technologies

Heavy-Duty, Heavy Payload Drones for Industrial Inspections, Public Safety and Search & Rescue

ZIYAN Tech

Electric Unmanned Helicopters & Supporting Unmanned Aircraft Equipment

UAVOS Inc.

VTOL and Fixed Wing UAVs, Autopilots, GCS, Components and Payloads for UAS

Elistair

Tethered Drone Systems for Military and Commercial Applications

Silver Partners
Airvolute

Cutting-Edge Drone Autopilots & UAS Platforms | Hardware & Software Solutions for Drones & Unmanned Systems

Nearthlab

AI-Powered Autonomous Drone Solutions for Public Safety, Defense, and Industrial Inspection

Arctic Horizons

Cutting-Edge Unmanned Aerial Systems & Counter-Drone Technologies for Government & Defense Applications

The Bionic Eye

Cutting-Edge Custom UAV Solutions for Specialist Commercial & Military Applications

FlyingBasket

Commercial Heavy-Payload Drones for Heavy-Lift Cargo Transportation & Logistics

Woot Tech Aerospace

Commercial Drones for Delivery, Surveying, Agriculture, Security & Mapping - Target Drones - UAS GCS

WaveAerospace

All-Weather Electric Quadcopters & Unmanned Aircraft - High Wind Resistant & Weatherproof UAVs

T-DRONES

Industrial Multirotor Drones, Long-Endurance Fixed Wing VTOL UAVs, & High-Energy-Density Li-ion Batteries

WISPR Systems

Customizable, Industrial Quadcopter Drone for Aerial Mapping, Surveying & Inspections

CHC Navigation

GNSS Positioning & Navigation Systems, Mobile Mapping UAV LiDAR & Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Hydronalix

Small USVs, Unmanned Surface Vessels, SSRR & Water Rescue Robots

Black Swift Technologies

Autonomous UAS, Research & Inspection UAVs for Industrial Inspection, Survey & Mapping

Acecore Technologies

Professional Drones, Quadcopters, Multirotors & Hexacopters for Cinematography, Survey & Inspection

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