Turkish company develops micro land, air surveillance drone

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) — Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, a micro land- and air-going drone has been developed by a Turkish aviation company to serve in surveillance roles, especially in hard-to-reach places.

The wheeled robot, dubbed "HIRO," features a detachable mini-quadcopter that can take off when an obstacle blocks its way, according to Tansel Nuran Birdir, deputy general manager of Lapis Aerospace Technologies, based in Ankara.

Speaking to Anadolu at the two-day Defense Logistics Support Summit held in the Turkish capital, Birdir said the hybrid propulsion platform uses artificial intelligence algorithms to detect obstacles and is capable of operating in tight and enclosed settings thanks to its autopilot feature.

When faced with an obstacle it cannot overcome from the ground, the HIRO can dispatch its "baby drone" to fly around it, she said, adding: "With electro-optical and infrared sensors located both on the robot and the baby drone, we can take images in the dark, as well as in the light."

Noting that HIRO, whose critical design phase is now complete, was developed for military use, Birdir said the robot would be ready in the first half of next year.

She added that the largest version of the HIRO is 28 centimeters (11 inches), while the baby drone measures 10-15 cm, weighing up to 100-150 grams (3.5-5.3 ounces).

*Writing by Emir Yildirim