Autel expands Dragonfish range in US with Lite, Pro drone models

Autel Robotics’ Dragonfish Lite and Pro drones are finally available in the US. The new drones join the standard version of the Dragonfish VTOL, providing enterprise pilots with multiple endurance options that suit diverse budgets.

The Dragonfish is a tough drone, capable of both VTOL multi-rotor and fast-winged flight. With an endurance of up to 180 minutes, the aircraft is ideal for applications in fields such as energy, mining, defense, and surveillance. The drone’s maximum winged flight speed is 30m/s (108km/h, 67mph), and maximum video transmission range is 30km (18.6 miles) with a base station.

Also read: Autel drops new firmware update for EVO Nano, Lite drones

Autel says it has developed the Dragonfish with ease of use in mind. There’s the one-tap take-off and landing capability, point-and-click user interface, and several other smart autonomous features that make the drone simple for anyone to operate. Assembling the drone takes only three minutes. And, disassembled, the Dragonfish can fit into the back of any car.

But at the end of the day, it’s flight safety that really defines this drone. Let’s say an issue arises – the GPS signal is lost, the drone loses communication with the pilot, or the battery level drops to a dangerous low – then the drone will make a smart decision to either land or return to base. Similarly, the tilt-rotor system will automatically transition to multi-rotor mode if adverse conditions cause a fixed-winged flight to stall or become unsustainable. Basically, Autel has provided backup modules for all important parameters such as the battery, barometer, positioning system, compass, and IMU.

And the Dragonfish is versatile too. It can carry a variety of payloads, including standard high-resolution cameras, 50x optical zoom cameras, 12MP wide-angle cameras, 1280×1024 high-resolution infra-red cameras, and laser rangefinders.

So, what’s special about Dragonfish Pro and Lite versions?

The larger Dragonfish Pro provides the longest flight time of the series: up to 180 minutes with payload. The drone has a 6,000m flight ceiling, making it perfect for applications like discreet long-endurance surveillance and wide-area mapping. Its maximum payload capacity is 2.5kg.

The Dragonfish Lite, meanwhile, is compact and lightweight at only 4.5kg (including two batteries) with a 1,600mm wingspan. It can carry a 1kg payload up to its service ceiling of 4,000m and has a maximum flight time of 75 minutes.

The drones can be sourced from authorized dealers.

Read more: How Autel Robotics hopes to shape the future of drone industry