8 unmanned systems
inside
April/May 2016
COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO— A quad-
copter with a built-in airfoil may some-
day raise the bar for filming car chases.
The X PlusOne, developed by Idaho-
based xCraft can fly up to 60 miles per
hour. The aircraft launches vertically but
then can tip over and use its hybrid, lifting
body design to fly rapidly to its destina-
tion. Once there it can loiter as directed by
the preprogrammed mission plan.
Weighing just under 3 lbs. the X
PlusOne can f ly for 20 minutes and is
self-stabilizing in both hover and flight
mode. It has a follow-me mode where
it stays with a specified target and can
also be flown with a control stick. The X
PlusOne Platinum is available with the
Autonomous Option from 3D Robotics.
xCraft's X PlusOne can follow you at 60 mph
Photo
courtesy
of
xCraft
NEWS & ANALYSIS
www.sbg-systems.com
Booth #1442
0.1° Roll & Pitch
0.2° Heading
2 cm RTK
» Immune to magnetic disturbances
» L1/L2 GNSS receiver
Ellipse-D Dual GNSS/INS
Inertial Navigation System
» Accurate heading even under low dynamics
» Post-processing
Though the initial market
is for high-speed video, said
the firm's CEO JD Claridge,
the speed and precise hov-
ering capability have com-
mercial applications.
"This technology—hav-
ing the ability to take off
and land vertically, and f ly
long distances ef f icient-
ly—is going to be, I think
the primar y use case for
drones in the future. Because whether
you are delivering packages, inspect-
ing power lines, inspecting pipelines,
running security—really most appli-
cations—(you) can use the eff icient
(travel) capability."
The firm got a boost this fall when it
convinced all five potential backers on
the reality show Shark Tank to invest
a total of $1.5 million. Claridge said
xCraft hopes to secure Series A fund-
ing this year.
The X PLUSONE
has a built-in 'wing.'