3DR and Yuneec, two founding members of the Dronecode software consortium, announced a U.S.-headquartered joint venture to bring products based on the Dronecode platform to market. The joint venture, which will operate as 3DR Government Services, will have a particular focus on serving the security and open platform needs of U.S. government customers and their vendors in the construction and engineering industries.
3DR Government Services will combine Yuneec’s UAV system expertise and manufacturing scale with 3DR’s software. The first product from 3DR Government Services is the Yuneec 3DR H520-G, which will be unveiled at the Interdrone Conference in Las Vegas. It includes the complete 3DR Site Scan UAS platform, integrated into a custom version of the Dronecode-based Yuneec H520 hexacopter sUAS technology with a simplified and smaller controller designed for Apple iOS devices. It also includes integrations with both Autodesk and Esri platforms, the leading software ecosystems in the construction and geospatial industries respectively.
This offering meets two critical needs: the demand for vendor choice by government agencies and contractors at the federal, state and local level, along with increased need for open platforms that can be security certified and more easily approved for operations beyond the constraints of today’s FAA Part 107 waivers. Use of the Dronecode PX4 software has already been specified by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) effort to create a new standard platform for small, low-cost UAVs. This is in part because its open source core and commercial-friendly BSD license allow for easy integration and validation by many vendors, increasing choice and lowering costs.
3DR and Yuneec are already leading suppliers of UAS solutions to U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy and many public safety organizations. By establishing 3DR Government Services and introducing the H520-G, they are able to go to market together for the first time as a fully U.S.-based company, with a complete software and hardware package.
“This joint venture cements a strong relationship that goes back to the start of Dronecode and the shared belief that an open software platform would help the drone industry grow and mature faster, just as it has in so many other industries,” said Chris Anderson, CEO, 3DR. “For U.S. government customers who are increasingly looking for U.S.-based trusted solutions, this combination of global leaders in hardware and software provides the best of both worlds.”
“Since our launch of the H520 at Interdrone last year, Yuneec has committed to provide public agencies and commercial enterprises with a sUAS that improves their workflow effectiveness. This strategic partnership with 3DR is yet another powerful example of that ongoing commitment,” said Michael Jiang, CEO, Yuneec International. “We’ve built a commercial enterprise platform based on the Dronecode open source. Together with partners such as 3DR, Yuneec will continue to leverage our commercial systems to integrate new functionality that further meet the needs of enterprise customers who demand robust and secure sUAS solutions.”
To learn more about 3DR Government Services and the Yuneec 3DR H520-G, visit 3dr.com/government.
