CES 2021 UAV & Robotics Recaps

As with most tradeshows in 2020, CES went all digital for their January 2021 show. Flashy booths and auditoriums full of eager tech enthusiasts were replaced by impressive livestreams and virtual pitches from companies via their own homes and offices. Even with this extreme change, CES still allowed their audience the first look at what is sure to be the hottest drone technology of 2021.

SONY AIRSPEAK

Most notably, Sony’s unveiling of the Airspeak drone has garnered much of the attention. The small unmanned aerial vehicle shoots 4K movie videos from above – an eye-in-the-sky for filmmakers. Carrying the Sony Alpha 7S III camera – Sony noted this is the smallest class of drones that carry such a camera.

Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President & CEO of Sony Corp stated, “Airpeak enables video creators to explore new frontiers for visual expression. With Sony’s Alpha camera, stable dynamic remote shooting is possible… Creators have unlimited potential to capture stunning images from above. Airspeak transforms the skies into an infinite creative playground”.

To watch the official launch video, click below:

SKYDIO WIN

Skydio, a California-based drone startup, received the 2021 Best of Innovation Award for Drones and Unmanned Systems for the Skydio X2. The Skydio X2E was designed for enterprises, first responders and civilian agencies and is touted as an ‘ideal situation’ for situational awareness and inspection of infrastructure such as buildings, bridges, power plants, power stations, railyards and more. The Best of Innovation awards honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products across 28 product categories.

Skydio CEO, Adam Bry stated, “This award is a testament to our forward-thinking vision for autonomous drones and to the incredible work of our engineering team. The X2 delivers groundbreaking intelligence and robustness that sllows professional pilots to get the job done faster, more accurately and with greater peace of mind. Our goal is to make drones easier and safer to use than ever, while operating up entirely new uses cases based on autonomous flight”.

AUTEL RELEASES

Autel released the EVO 2 RTK series and the Dragonfish VTOL. The EVO 2 RTK is a standard EVO 2 Pro and EVO 2 Dual 640T with an RTK module on top. This new module will give the drone improved accuracy – to the centimeter. The Dragonfish, ‘Subvert Tradition, Command the Future’, is stated to have a maximum flight time of 120 minutes and an 18.6-mile video transmission range and the ability to get in the air in under four minutes. The biggest selling point for the Dragonfish? Its stated to be its intelligence and autonomy. The Dragon fish can complete a mission and return to home base automatically. It can track objects, circle above a point of interest, fly at a constant height, and complete multi-point missions.

OTHER NOTABLE UAV & ROBOTICS ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• GM announced its transformation into an EV company and furthermore, gave views the first look at the Cadillac eVTOL air taxi.

• The Samsung keynote was filled with robots, including the most intriguing Bot Handy robot butler that helps owners with tasks around the house and can deliver beverages.

• Skyward, UPS and Verizon announced connected drone delivery for their retail market, using the Verizon 4G LTE. The drones will undergo 5G testing & integration for delivery.

• Icarus Swarms, a French drone manufacturer, unveiled an Autonomous Swarm Concept for the security and emergency first-response industries.