ManDrone is a concept of hybrid between ultra-light aircraft and flying drone. This multicopter has 12 coaxial propellers that enable this vehicle to take-off and land vertically. Thanks to its length and width of 3 by 2,5 meters it is also less expensive and easier to maintain. It doesn’t require any runway or an aircraft hangar like ordinary airplanes.

Safety first

With 12 motors arranged in 6 coaxial groups it can keep flight level with even 2 motors out of function. Its fly-by-wire system provides automatic control adjustment in order to maintain controllable and stable flight. It has built in rocket parachute to provide safe landing in case of more serious failure.

Bright future for drones

Main coordinator of ManDrone, Wilfried Rissenbeek plans to build drone so it can carry twice its own weight (150 kg). Because of this fact, ManDrone finds potential use in several applications:

• Agricultural drone, used for treating crops with pesticides
• Firefighting drone used for extinguishing smaller fires on hard to reach areas and reconnaissance
• Search and rescue drone, used for quick medical supplying and extraction
• Environmental drone used for gathering data, samples and environmental reconnaissance
• Supply drone, used for delivering critical materials in hard to reach terrains

MGM COMPRO and its role in the project

The main goal of experts, who joined this team is designing functional aircraft in about 2 years. This team also cooperates on Drone4Agro project, which is already in the stage of the functioning prototype. The serial production should be started in the upcoming years.

We have informed you about this project in our latest article.

Lower expenses and no nature devastation

Drone4Agro is a multicopter with 12 propellers, which allow it to take of vertically from the ground. Farmers don’t have to use a runway to take off with their crop duster airplanes. In contrast to spraying vehicles, drone is not using ground to transport. So there is no soil compaction. It doesn’t need wheel trails that occupy space where a plants could have grown.

The size of the drone is 3 by 2,5 meters so it doesn’t require a hangar or a large garage like planes or vehicles do. Also its maintenance is much easier. Thanks to built-in GPS navigation, crop spraying is more precise and effective.

20 minutes of air time with 150 kg load

With one fully charged battery should drone flight duration be around 20 minutes and maximal load can weigh between 100 and 150 kg. It can cary that much of a load thanks to 12 propellers. Stable and safe flight is secured even if 2 propellers stops working. In the case of more serious failure, built-in parachute will provide safe landing.

Future of industrial drones thanks to agricultural revolution

Once this Dutch start-up finishes their drone, its usage is limitless, not only in agricultural revolution. It is a question of 2 years and those drones will help firefighters to extinguish the fire in inaccessible locations. Mountain rescue service will appreciate its remote controlling and vertical start while looking for missing tourists.

MGM COMPRO and Drone4Agro partnership

MGM COMPRO believes in this vision and this is why we joined our mutual capacities to participate in the agricultural revolution.  Our main task in this project is to provide the complex technical support to Drone4Agro. We supply our partner with complete propulsion system, which includes:

• Industrial Speed Controllers HBC 140120
• Electric Motor Ret 30
• Custom built Li-Ion Battery Accupacks
• Battery Management Systems
• Industrial Balancing Battery Chargers

Do you think that the idea of agricultural drones is utopia? Watch the video from the development process and testing of Drone4Agro and take a look into the future!