Evolve Dynamics Sky Mantis

We have seen tethered multirotors before, I am not sure we have seen systems that can break the tether and fly free for 30 minutes after detachment.

This would most certainly be a bonus in a security monitoring situation.

Evolve Dynamics, a UK based designer and manufacturer of UAV/RPAS aircraft and software systems has just finished testing of its full end to end prototype of a compact, mid-flight detachable tether system.

The system, developed over the past 9 months, is capable of powering its Sky Mantis UAV/RPAS from the ground via a thin, durable cable for up to 24 hours and keeping the aircraft at 100-meter altitude (330 feet).

The ground-based module is a small box of about 35 by 35 by 25 centimetres (14 x 14 x 10 inches) weighing around 5 kg (11 lb) and fits in a small backpack. It can be powered from a generator or a vehicle inverter or from the mains. The reeling in and out of the cable is automatic and the aircraft does not need to be deployed to full altitude and can be stationed at just 20 meters if required with the rest of the cable still on the reel – unlike most systems which required the cable to be fully reeled out.

The system also comes with the world’s first (to the best of Evolve Dynamics’ knowledge) droppable connector. This allows the cable to be detached from the aircraft mid flight by a command from the ground controller and free the aircraft to then fly for another 30 minutes untethered – in pursuit of a moving target, for example.

The Sky Mantis aircraft is also an all-weather capable system able to fly in 40-knot winds and heavy rain. Without a tether, on a standard battery, the system can fly for a full hour (with payload) and its standard payload is a dual gimbal containing a high-resolution IR/thermal and a 30 times optical zoom 1080p HD cameras. The aircraft is extremely rapid to deploy and can be in the air from the bag in under 1 minute.

Well done Evolve, not often something new comes along.

Evolve Dynamics

I stand corrected, there was a detachable tether out there from Planck Systems sorry Gaemus