Swiss drones: a diverse ecosystem
Fearless, trusting, robust: there seems to be a never-ending growth in the variety of drones manufactured by Swiss spin-off companies. In this graphic, we look at a selection of them.
Fearless, trusting, robust: there seems to be a never-ending growth in the variety of drones manufactured by Swiss spin-off companies. In this graphic, we look at a selection of them.
Tap or hover over the different types of drone to find about more about them.
Aerotain very trusting, and can be controlled by smartphone at large-scale events. Takes photos and videos on demand and proudly wears its logo on its back. It comes in many different colours and forms. Origin: ETH Zurich.
Skypull loves airy heights of 400 metres, and transfers wind energy via a rope to an electric generator on the ground. Origin: ETH Zurich. Another electricity generator from Switzerland is Twingtec, made by Empa, FHNW and ETH Zurich.
Flyability boldly goes into dangerous areas where people prefer to stay away. Its protective casing and its stabilisation feature – independent of GPS – mean it can even navigate through narrow passages. Origin: EPFL.
Wingtra a confident vertical starter, and thanks to its horizontal wings it can swiftly fly over long distances and can nevertheless land anywhere. Thanks to its high image resolution, it is well suited to map production. Origin: ETH Zurich. And there’s one more horizontal flyer from Switzerland: Sensefly from EPFL.
Verity is always to be found in large-scale swarms, and is well-known for its ostentatious light shows. Thanks to ultra-wideband localisation, it can navigate through interior spaces. Given its small size and light weight, it is also not dangerous. Origin: ETH Zurich.
Fotokite robust, independent and reliable. It likes to hover calmly, without any pilot, over complicated accident sites. Its electricity cable and integrated warmth camera mean that it can deliver aerial photos to staff on the ground over a long time. Origin: ETH Zurich.
Gamaya flightless on its own. Sticks to long-distance flyers over agricultural surfaces. Its hyperspectral cameras can perceive the most varied wavelengths all at the same time, and its vast experience means it can analyse them. Origin: EPFL. Other image analyses for drones from Switzerland: Pix4D by EPFL and Skybotix by ETH Zurich.
Dronistics it’s user-friendly, and its special folding technology means you can pack it away in your rucksack. It will effortlessly fly across the most unpassable terrain before landing safely back in the hand of its master. Origin: EPFL.
Illustration: ikonaut