UAV company UAVOS has managed to convert a Robinson R22 manned helicopter into an autonomous cargo drone, capable of flying over 1000km. The UVH R22 is capable of carrying 400 pounds of cargo, agricultural monitoring, and video surveillance, just to name a few.

In a press release from UAVOS, it stated the drone has been designed to deliver cargo and humanitarian aid, first and foremost. The Robinson R22 was chosen due to its strong resistance to a majority of all weather conditions along with a flight time of six hours, making long-range missions a breeze.

The drone doesn’t require a ground control unit to run missions, take off and land automatically, a cruising speed of 160 km/h, and only requires a 15cm x 15cm level surface to be able to land. An API and customizable software can be utilized, meaning a custom solution can easily be coded for specific needs.

UAVOS’ CEO Aliaksei Stratsilatau stated its converted helicopter is a guarantee for cargo companies to be able to ensure cargo is delivered on time, no matter the weather conditions:

The cargo companies only make money when the cargo gets to its destination, and our R-22 is their ‘guarantee’ at any time, and any weather conditions, which makes it a very attractive prospect for any cargo company.

The company is also looking into converting a manned Schweizer helicopter into an autonomous cargo and surveillance drone similar to the Robinson R22 conversion. The exact model being converted looks to be Schweizer S300, further development of the Hughes 269 helicopter.

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Photo: UAVOS

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