Drones

Volocopter debuts giant drone powerful enough to lift 440 lb

Volocopter debuts giant drone powerful enough to lift 440 lb
In all, the Volodrone has a total payload capacity of 440 lb (200 kg)
In all, the Volodrone has a total payload capacity of 440 lb (200 kg)
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Volocopter has spent years developing aircraft to hoist people up and over congested cities, and now its leveraging its technology to do the same for heavy cargo
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Volocopter has spent years developing aircraft to hoist people up and over congested cities, and now its leveraging its technology to do the same for heavy cargo
Just like the Volocopter, the Volodrone is fitted with 18 rotors and is entirely electric
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Just like the Volocopter, the Volodrone is fitted with 18 rotors and is entirely electric
In all, the Volodrone has a total payload capacity of 440 lb (200 kg)
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In all, the Volodrone has a total payload capacity of 440 lb (200 kg)
The Volodrone can be equipped with a variety of carrying mechanisms
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The Volodrone can be equipped with a variety of carrying mechanisms
View gallery - 4 images

Volocopter has spent years developing aircraft to hoist people up and over congested cities, and now it is leveraging its technology to do the same for heavy cargo. Announced today, the Volodrone is cut from the same cloth as the company's electric passenger aircraft, but sports an attachment system underneath to carry heavy loads of all shapes and sizes.

Just like the Volocopter, the Volodrone is fitted with 18 rotors and is entirely electric. But instead of featuring a cabin with seating for two passengers, the airframe is built around a body to house the swappable lithium-battery and other electronics, with a rail attachment system that allows different kinds of payloads to be hooked up to its underbody in between the landing gear.

The Volodrone can be equipped with a variety of carrying mechanisms
The Volodrone can be equipped with a variety of carrying mechanisms

This could be a sling or net to carry large awkward items, large containers for loads that need protecting, or even be fitted with customized equipment. In this way, the Volodrone could be fitted out to handle crop-spraying tasks, lift heavy materials on construction sites, or perhaps deliver heavy loads for logistics companies.

Just like the Volocopter, the Volodrone is fitted with 18 rotors and is entirely electric
Just like the Volocopter, the Volodrone is fitted with 18 rotors and is entirely electric

In all, the Volodrone has a total payload capacity of 440 lb (200 kg), and has the battery capacity to carry that weight over distances of 40 km (25 mi). The company has already completed short test flights in Germany, which can be seen in the video below. It says a commercial version will be "available soon."

VoloDrone, Heavy-lift Utility Cargo Drone, Introduced – Agriculture & Construction

Source: Volocopter

View gallery - 4 images
2 comments
2 comments
zr2s10
Combine this with infrared cameras, and it could be a huge help in disaster zones, potentially even lifting people out of places too small for a helicopter.
paul314
That's a lot of supplies to otherwise inaccessible places.