, a Singapore-based unmanned aerial systems manufacturer brings to the security market a new fixed-wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) fully manufactured by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) which is a technique used for 3D printing.
Nicknamed the “CAPTOR”, the 2-meter wingspan aerial vehicle, is manufactured from ABS thermoplastics with carbon-reinforced skin. CAPTOR will be delivered in 3 main parts that will click together in the field, negating the use of tools and thereby reducing setup time.
“With the dynamic requirements of each individual client and the pace within which applications evolve, it just wasn’t cost-effective nor practical in certain scenarios to build a UAS the conventional way. We wanted to bring fully customisable solutions for our clients and saw the opportunity with 3D printing.”
“O’Qualia has always been differentiated by its customisability and with CAPTOR, I’m confident that a new standard has been set in terms of speed to market and cost ratio. Manufacturing times have been reduced by half and we’ve reduced the cost to produce each UAS by at least 40%.” Says O’Qualia’s Executive Consultant M.Rashed.
The aircraft has a maximum take off weight of 3.5kg and is designed to carry, either, the T707 EO/IR gimbal, which is designed in-house, or the CM100 manufactured by UAV Vision Pty Ltd.
Powered by a high torque electric motor, the CAPTOR has an endurance of 2 hours and a cruise speed of 16m/s making it an ideal choice for surveillance and monitoring applications.
According to E. Moseer, O’Qualia’s Business development manager, “we have endeavoured to bring to market an unmanned aerial system that is designed to be rugged, versatile, and most importantly, quick to deploy. Having said that, the FDM methodology used enables us to deliver a cost-effective solution that is highly customisable to meet the differing requirements of our customer base. The first fleet will be delivered in July of this year to one of our major clients operating in Asia-Pacific.”
Major Features of CAPTOR
- The two wings and fuselage are fitted together by means of a clever click-system, which negates the use of tools and shortens setup time.
- The combination of a specially designed aerofoil and wide body generate significant amounts of lift. This enables flight with reduced angles-of-attack and an increased endurance for a given weight/power density.
- The battery packs are formed to take the shape of the internals of the vehicle, making ample room to fit additional sensors and payloads.
- 1-button initialisation takes care of pre-flight checks. Making sure all systems are go before take-off.
- Dual GPS receivers provide positional data redundancy.
- A standardised payload bay located in the nose comprising of a retractable EO/IR day and night sensor. Deploying and retracting of the sensor is fully automatic.
O’Qualia is a regional unmanned aerial systems provider for the industrial and natural resources sectors in Asia-Pacific. Founded by Dutch entrepreneurs with Singapore as the strategic hub for sales and services.
Source : Press Release