Intel has unveiled a company-branded commercial drone for North American markets, with the aim to lead in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market, particularly in the commercial segment.
The Intel Falcon 8+ is a V-form octocopter, with full electronic system redundancy covering batteries, communications and sensing.
It is built on the AscTec Falcon 8 from Ascending Technologies, which was acquired by Intel in January.
Outfitted for industrial inspection, surveying and mapping for professionals and experts, the drone system features the water-resistant Intel Cockpit for ground control, as well as an Intel Powerpack.
It also features the triple-redundant AscTec Trinity autopilot system, which delivers detailed accurate images and gives valuable structural analysis that helps users identify and avoid further damage to infrastructure.
Intel did not reveal pricing or availability details of the drone.
Intel new technology group senior vice president and general manager Josh Walden said: “Drones are an important computing platform for the future, and Intel is positioning itself at the forefront of this opportunity to provide the compute, sensor, communications and cloud integration for the growing drone ecosystem.”
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Last year, Intel invested more than $60m in Chinese drone manufacturer Yuneec, which launched its Typhoon H six-rotor craft using Intel’s RealSense at the CES tech show in January.
Last month, Intel acquired Dublin-based chipmaker Movidius, which supplies chips to drone makers.
The chipmaker is working with airlines manufacturer Airbus for the demonstration of a drone with the capability of inspecting passenger airlines.
