Thalwil, Switzerland and Siegen, Germanyâ€" July 1, 2013 â€" Founded in 2005, microdrones, a German manufacturer of light-weight Vertical Take Off and Landing Vehicles (VTOLs), has successfully demonstrated a high-precision aerial journey over the Alps from Switzerland towards Italy with its 5 kg md4-1000 quadrocopter microdrone. Precise GPS coordinates and elevation, crucial for navigating obstacles and completing the flight in punishing weather conditions, was provided by an onboard u-blox GPS satellite receiver module.

Equipped with a high-resolution video camera, the autonomous microdrone completed 18 pre-programmed flight segments, mapping designated landmarks along the way.

Click here to see teaser video on Youtube.

“This successful journey of our microdrone demonstrates the robustness, reliability, and versatility of our autonomous drone technology which is being increasingly used for aerial mapping, surveying, search and rescue, security, utilities inspection, and aerial photography.†said Sven Juerss, microdrones CEO, “The md4-1000 was faced with intense wind and temperature fluctuations during its flight. It also had to navigate around power lines and a cable car during its more than 12 kilometer trip, which included a 1600 meter change in altitude. This autonomous flight would not have been possible without the robust, ultra-precise, real-time satellite positioning technology from uâ€'blox.â€

“Fully automated devices are increasingly used to do tasks that are too costly and dangerous for human operators,†said Herbert Blaser, VP Business Marketing at u-blox, “the microdrone is a perfect example of a cost-effective, versatile, location-aware machine that allows people to collect important information at high altitudes from a safe, ground-based control center. This is an application that exploits all the features of our satellite navigation modules; fast, accurate-fix, low-power consumption and reliable operation in extreme environmental conditions.â€

Several sponsor companies took part in the preparation and realization of this remarkable endurance test: Daimler AG made four Mercedes-Benz AMG support vehicles available, Sony Germany, Carl Zeiss AG and GPS/GNSS and wireless hardware and software developer u-blox contributed their audio, video and satellite navigation technologies to the project.

microdrone’s md4-1000 is able to fly autonomously for up to 88 minutes, and carry a payload of up to 1.2 kg. For a complete overview of microdrone’s fleet of unmanned quadrocopters, mdCockpit and flight control products, visit www.microdrones.com

For more information about u-blox extensive portfolio of advanced GPS/GNSS satellite receivers and wireless module products, visit www.u-blox.com


About u-blox
Swiss-based u-blox (SIX:UBXN) is the global leader in positioning and wireless semiconductors for the consumer, industrial and automotive markets. Our solutions enable people, vehicles and machines to locate their exact position and wirelessly communicate via voice, text or video. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules and software solutions, u-blox is uniquely positioned to enable OEMs to develop innovative personal, professional and M2M solutions quickly and cost-effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, u-blox is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the USA.
(www.u-blox.com)

About microdrones
microdrones GmbH was founded in October 2005 by German engineers who have been engaged with development of aerial vehicles years before that time. Products of microdrones GmbH are the technologically most advanced solutions for safe and sophisticated operations in the field of aerial reconnaissance. The microdrones are rotary wing Vertical Take Off and Landing, Micro Aerial Vehicles weighing below 25kg, mainly based on the principle of quadrocopters. Equipped with high-resolution photo-, video, thermography or multispectral sensors, the microdrones simplify the work of geodesist and surveyors significantly. Whether for life-threatening situations or difficult to reach locations in cities or rural areas, the microdrones are fast, quiet, precise and robust, allowing you to go beyond the limits of what was once possible.
www.microdrones.com

u-blox contact
Jochen Steinhauer, u-blox Sales Manager, Germany & Austria
Phone: +41 44 722 7321

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