Categories : New York City-based drone start-up Aerobo is unveiling a micro unmanned aircraft system (UAS), the Mini, designed specifically for the broadcast television industry.
On Monday, during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the company will release the drone at the Google Fiber Pavilion with Michael Huerta, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator, and Marke “Hoot” Gibson, the FAA’s senior advisor for UAS integration.
Aerobo says it has been building the Mini, a lightweight drone constructed with frangible, 3D-printed plastic and carbon fiber, in Brooklyn, N.Y., for eight months. The aircraft also includes two auto-launching parachutes to lower it to the ground in the event of a loss of propulsion.
According to the company, the release coincides with the renewed interest in the micro UAS category tied to the proposed House bill for FAA reauthorization, which calls specifically for the inclusion of a classification for drones weighing 4.4 lbs. or under.
Early in the development of the aircraft, Aerobo partnered with technology company IMT of Mt. Olive, N.J., to further customize a version of IMT’s MicroLite COFDM HD transmitter, which Aerobo says is crucial to bringing a robust radio frequency signal back to the ground – providing an uninterrupted, live TV picture.
“We’ve already had significant interest in the Mini from the broadcast TV community – some of whom helped in the early development of the product,” says Brian Streem, founder and CEO of Aerobo. “We’re thrilled to be launching a broadcast-quality drone that will bring never-before-seen images of live breaking news and sports to homes around the world.”
Photo courtesy of Aerobo
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