Automated drone platform launches and lands drones without a pilot

There’s now a completely new way to fly drones — without actually flying them. Thanks to a new automatic drone platform called Airobotics, drones can fly without the need for any pilots or operators.

The end-to-end base-station and drone solution automatically launches and lands flying missions by simply pressing a button.The platform enables drone enthusiasts and professionals to run missions autonomously in order to monitor, inspect, survey, and secure large industrial facilities and other strategic sites.

Airobotics removes the need for a drone operator, which ultimately removes the most expensive and hard to find component of industrial drone operations.

The system is comprised of three major components:

1. Optimus: Optimus is the large drone that can fly on 3-minute missions while carrying a payload up to 2.2 lbs. Optimus streams video and provides real-time aerial insight into critical events and increasing their situational awareness.
2. Airbase: This is automated base station from which the Optimus drone launches and lands on its own, without any human intervention.
3. Software: The Airobotics Software enables users to control and manage missions with one click. Users interact with real-time and processed data to extract insights and improve decision-making processes.

The Airobotics’ solution is intended to add value to industries  like mining, oil, and even seasports. These industries benefit greatly from harnessing aerial insights, surveying and mapping, inspection, & security and emergency response applications, which are critical missions for industrial facilities that can directly impact the bottom line. Israel Chemicals (ICL), one of Airobotics’ first customers, ran beta trials to test, refine, and optimize the performance of the platform. Following the success of the beta program, ICL is continuing as launch customer.

“I feel like this is the future,” said Yakov Kahlon, Senior Vice President of Operations at ICL. “The Airobotics platform has provided us with a highly effective tool that is cheaper economically and saves us time. With the platform, we can measure in one day what once took multiple days to measure.”