Hexagon recently acquired Aibotix, the Kassel, Germany-based maker of Aibot X6 V2 multicopters. The company said its multirotor X6 and X6 long-flight UAVs can be used for visual inspection, aerial mapping, surveying, and security, offering a range of features that include fully automatic take-off and landing; highly configurable flight characteristics; training and geo-fence modes to maintain UAV flight patterns within safe, defined spatial limits; dynamic POI (point of interest) setting capabilities that automatically maintain UAV alignment toward the POI during flight; enhanced safety features such as fail-safe modes in case of loss of RC-signal/low battery voltage, etc.; and a standardized interface and modular design that enables integration of many kinds of sensors.
According to Aibotix, its UAVs have a climb rate of up to 8 m/sec and a top speed of 60 km/h. If a motor should fail, the Aibot X6 will still have sufficient power to fly safely on the remaining rotors. A lightweight carbon fiber casing protects the rotors when operating in close proximity to objects, as well as providing safety for operators and bystanders. In addition to fully autonomous waypoint flights, the Aibot X6 V2 also allows dynamic setting of waypoints during a flight, offering an expanded range of capabilities for aerial surveys.
The X6 V2 long-flight version, based on V2 architecture, has more powerful motors and batteries that enable flights up to 30 minutes long and payloads of up to 3 kg.
