November 3, 2021 (Riga, Latvia) – SPH Engineering and France-based Hexadrone partner to integrate TUNDRA drone with a ground-penetrating radar. The trial flight was conducted in Balogi, Latvia and confirmed the compatibility of the drone with a GPR sensor to perform near surface surveys.
The integration was performed to unlock a new type of drone for industrial, hydrographic, urban and environmental data collection with the use of a GPR, magnetometers, methane detectors, echo sounders. The solution consists of UgCS software for mission-planning, UgCS SkyHub hardware (on-board computer) for data accumulation, Radar Systems Zond Aero GPR and Hexadrone TUNDRA drone.
Main advantages of the Tundra drone include a modular and multipurpose body that can be integrated with almost any payloads, accessories and modules available on the market or in development. Available in different configurations, it can fly up to 1 hour without payload, 50 minutes with a 1,5kg payload and 30 minutes with the max payload – 4kg.
‘Within this year we have got a few requests from drone producers who aim at enabling real industrial work in the most challenging terrain. We are open to extending UgCS Integrated Systems portfolio with new partners and satisfied with the TUNDRA integration results. We expect the technology will allow Hexadrone to advance their capabilities with the help of GPR solution,’ Alexei Dobrovolskiy, CTO at SPH Engineering, comments.
“The Tundra drone has been designed as a development hub, a toolholder, in order to meet every need. It embodies the word collaborative as it is meant to be the starting point of each and every conceivable development. It is through partnerships that technologies and applications can evolve, that is why we are so proud to be able to work with foreign companies such as SPH Engineering. We are very happy with the integration of their GPR that opens new opportunities for drone users. We’d like to thanks Cédric Botella and the whole Instadrone network – french official distributor of UgCS – as they introduced us to SPH Engineering.” Alexandre Labesse, CEO of Hexadrone, adds.
About SPH Engineering
SPH Engineering (sph-engineering.com) is a multiproduct drone software company and UAV integration services provider. Founded in 2013 in Latvia (EU) as a UAV mission planning and flight control start-up, the company has evolved from a developer of a single flagship product (UgCS) to a market leader of multiple drone solutions. Today, the company boasts a rich global customer and reseller network in 150+ countries, while over 45% of partners are located in North America. To provide high-quality solutions for UAV professionals, SPH Engineering’s team advances four key product lines: UgCS (mission planning and flight control software), UgCS Integrated Systems (airborne integrated systems with sensors from diverse manufacturers), Drone Show Software (only commercially available software to manage drone swarm flights) and ATLAS (AI platform to process and analyze geospatial data).
About Hexadrone
Hexadrone is a French society based near Lyon created in 2014. 50% of its annual turnover is made with the security and defence sectors.The company is divided into 3 main business units. First, the online shop: with more than 3500 products, OEM parts and RTF drones. Different brands are available such as T-Motor, Gremsy, Gryphon Dynamics, Parrot, DJI, HEX…and many more. Second, the Design Office: Specialized in mechanics and mechatronics, the Design Office does R&D both for internal and external needs. It is composed of mechanical and electronic engineers (hardware and software developments). This business unit is in charge of research and collaborative programs management. Third, the TUNDRA dedicated BU: Last April, after 3 years of research and development, the TUNDRA drone was unveiled. This unit is in charge of the management, industrialization, maintenance and the development of the TUNDRA range as well as its ecosystem, from the design to the production and assembly. A factory dedicated to the production and assembly of the TUNDRA drones was built in 2021.