Harris Aerial, a start-up out of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program, is launching a new hybrid drone that uses both gasoline and electricity.
According to the company, the Carrier H4 Hybrid can fly uninterrupted for more than two hours while carrying a payload weighing nearly 10 pounds; without a payload, the drone can fly for nearly five hours. The aircraft can be configured to carry a variety of payloads, such as HD cameras, thermal imaging cameras, hyperspectral cameras, and LiDAR.
The Carrier H4 Hybrid is suited for a wide range of industrial uses, such as search and rescue, disaster response, and surveying. Furthermore, the unmanned aircraft is easy to transport because of its ability to fold to under half its size, says Harris Aerial.
“Extended flight is essential in disaster situations where there is limited power and dangerous conditions for our first responders,” says Ben Harris, president of the company. “By using a hybrid drone, they will be able to deliver supplies quicker and save more lives, including their own, without stopping to swap batteries or to charge the drone.”
