Brenda Marie Rivers
Auterion, a Swiss manufacturer of software for unmanned aerial systems, plans to make first shipments of its fixed-wing and trirotor drones in the fourth quarter of this year, C4ISRnet reported Wednesday.
The company partnered with Quantum-Systems in February to develop two small UAS intended for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance activities in the U.S. security and defense sector.
The Scorpion tricopter and Vector fixed-wing sUAS utilize common sensor packages and deploy open-source operating systems. Scorpion is built to support hover and vertical-lift functions, while Vector can operate in long-distance flights and wide-open spaces.
The multirotor UAS also has the capacity to incorporate fixed-wing elements to support operation in harsh environments and narrow places.
Dave Sharpin, CEO of Auterion's government solutions arm, said the company decided to produce the trirotor UAS following discussions with search and rescue as well as government entities. Auterion initially planned to develop a vertical takeoff and landing platform only, he noted.
The Defense Innovation Unit awarded Auterion a $2M contract to deliver its PX4 open-source UAS software in May 2019.
