California-based small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufacturer AeroVironment has launched a wearable, five-ounce quadrotor that takes its lead from the advances in nano technology it first made with its Nano Hummingbird concept demonstrator.
The company says a US Government customer has already taken delivery of twenty systems in April.
‘Snipe’ is a new quadrotor worn on the operator’s clothing and launched by hand. It can fly at speeds exceeding 20mph, with a 0.6 mile range and 15 minutes of flight time.
Designed for close-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), the miniature aircraft is fitted with electro-optical / infrared (EO/IR), low-light-capable and long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors in an integrated tilt mechanism.
Snipe can relay high-resolution images and record real-time video both day and night. In addition, Snipe’s integrated UHF radio provides for excellent non-line-of-sight operation, while the drone is difficult to detect in operating environments with even minimal ambient noise.
Despite its small size, the durable nano-UAS is capable of operating under challenging environmental conditions – including winds of 15+mph with gusts up to 20mph.
Kirk Flittie, AeroVironment Vice President and General Manager of its UAS business segment, said: “Snipe’s tiny size belies its impressive capabilities. It is quick, quiet, fast, durable and packed with advanced features critical to helping our customers succeed in close-range missions.
“Snipe enables operators to spring into action quickly. No assembly is required for the five-ounce nano-UAS, which is designed to be worn by its operator so it can be deployed in less than a minute.”
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