While we’ve heard about heavy-lift drones before, they’re usually large objects that must be delivered by vehicle. The Hera, on the other hand, can lift 33 lb (15 kg) and be carried in a backpack by one person. According to the company, this lifting capacity is at least 2.5 times that of previous folding drones of similar size.
The Hera quadcopter is made by Realtime Robotics in California and has a mostly carbon fibre airframe with folding propeller arms for transportation and storage. It measures 22 x 13.7 x 9 inches (55 x 34 x 22 cm) when folded, making it back-packable.
The Hera also has a long flight time, with one charge of its 44.4-volt/29,400-mAh lithium battery allowing it to fly for 56 minutes without a payload. If it’s carrying a 5.7-lb (2.6-kg) Phase One P3 gimbal camera kit, the time lowers to a respectable 46 minutes.
The Hera’s mix of lifting capability and portability, according to Realtime Robotics creator Quoc Luong, is made feasible in part by that battery, as well as the drone’s lightweight foldable airframe.
“All backpack-sized copters out there employ motors with max thrust less than 4 lb [1.8 kg] per motor,” he explained. “More powerful motors demand bigger propellers, which means the airframe can’t fit in a backpack.” “Hera employs large propellers and powerful motors with a maximum thrust of 35 lb [15.9 kg] per motor, but she came up with a novel way to fold the entire airframe, including the motors, propellers, battery, and a gimbaled camera […] As a result, the folded Hera will easily fit into a bag.”
Clients in the commercial, industrial, and military sectors can preorder the Hera drone now, with deliveries beginning in August. According to our sources, the base version will cost less than US$24,900.
Source: Realtime Robotics
