Airobotics<\/a> in 2014. The company has developed a pilotless drone that self-deploys, using robotics to handle chores like changing the battery and various components. No human intervention is needed.<\/p>\nThe result is a robotic drone whose popularity is soaring so quickly that the company\u2019s biggest challenge is making them fast enough to fulfill demand. As its next step toward expanding its research, development, and manufacturing, Airobotics announced today the opening of its U.S. headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea for us when we started Airobotics was to pull the pilot out of the loop,\u201d Krauss said. \u201cIt\u2019s the most expensive part of the operations. That\u2019s clear when you\u2019re talking about autonomous cars. But it\u2019s not as obvious when you\u2019re talking about the pilot of a drone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Airobotics, which has 250 global employees now, intends to hire up to 80 more in Arizona by the end of 2019. For now, that will complement the company\u2019s offices in Australia, and some operations in Chile and New Caledonia. But the company also said that eventually the Arizona site will become its global headquarters.<\/p>\n
The choice of Arizona was far from a random one. Airobotics\u2019 biggest market today is the mining industry, which uses its drones for surveillance and data gathering. BHP, one of the world\u2019s largest mining companies, has extensive operations in Arizona and will become Airobotics\u2019 first customer in the U.S. And company officials also said Arizona regulators are willing to work with them on developing rules to enable drones to fly beyond the operator\u2019s line of sight, a thorny issue around the world that still limits the deployment and use cases of drones.<\/p>\n
That approach to partnering with regulators has been a cornerstone of Airobotics\u2019 strategy from the start, Krauss said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegulation has always been one of the drivers and challenges for this technology,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we started Airobotics, we went to regulators in Israel to see what was possible. We work side-by-side with them. Before we develop anything new, we see what they think and how we can make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The result of this approach is a drone that can land on platforms where robotic arms change batteries, unload cargo, or modify the drone for tasks such as transport or security. The software allows companies to pre-program routes and tasks, as well as schedule deployment and landing. Once the drone lands on the platform, it descends into the container, where it remains protected until the next mission.<\/p>\n