The autopilot function is performed by the Skynode on-board microcomputer from the American company Auterion, which costs only $15. During 2024, the technology was tested, including on the battlefield in Ukraine. Now mass production has been approved.
This was made possible by integrating affordable computers into compact systems capable of reproducing functions that were previously only available in much more expensive technologies.
“None of this is new,” said Auterion founder and chief executive Lorenz Meier. “The difference is the price.”
Ukraine will receive tens of thousands of Auterion microcomputers. The first mass-produced drones will arrive on the battlefield in early 2025. Vyriy Drone has said it will produce several thousand of these drones. Other companies are also ramping up production.
The results achieved also open up prospects for further developments, including the creation of systems where one pilot can simultaneously control a swarm of drones capable of flying autonomously and coordinating their actions. By the way, Auterion is cooperating with Ukrainian startup Swarmer in this area, while Vyrii is working with Sine Engineering, another Ukrainian company.
Russia has also stated that it uses computer-controlled drones. In addition, drones with fiber-optic cables have already appeared in service in Russia, which allows them to avoid radio interference.
According to the founder of Vyriy Drone, Oleksiy Babenko, autopiloted drones have a success rate of about 9 out of 10.
By the way, almost all the components for the drone are made in Ukraine. The engines and the camera come from China, while the minicomputer comes from another country.