With the threat of a US ban looming over Chinese drone maker DJI, keen flyers throughout the land will likely be on the lookout for alternatives. Homegrown Ascent Aerosystems may have an answer with its somewhat oddball Helius.
The upcoming Helius is the latest in a line of coaxial camera drones from Ascent that goes back at least a decade with the thermos-sized Sprite. Visually, it’s form is closer to 2021’s modular Spirit model – with its body sections separated by two counter-rotating rotor blades mounted one above the other.
This new model is pitched as a “rugged, all-weather, NDAA-compliant option for law enforcement, emergency response and industrial enterprise operators.” It weighs in at 249 g (8.78 oz) and sports a 12.3-megapixel ultra-low-light camera module capable of recording 4K footage at 60 frames per second or Full HD at 240 fps. However, unlike other camera drones, this one only offers a digital gimbal for pan, tilt and zoom.
Ascent Aerosystems
The nano UAV measures 275 x 75 x 53 mm (10.8 x 2.9 x 2 in), and its electric propulsion system can zip it to a top speed of 45 mph (over 72 km/h) while its hotswap battery has a per-charge operational time of more than 30 minutes. It can be ready to fly in under 30 seconds, is hand deployable, and features 4G/LTE connectivity for remote control and monitoring via a mobile device.
Ascent has cooked in AI-enabled obstacle avoidance and object tracking smarts. The company also boasts that this design “ensures superior performance in high winds and challenging environments” – it can operate in wind up to 25 mph (40 km/h) and temperatures running from -20 °C to 60 above (-4 to 140 °F). Its night beacon is visible for 3 miles (4.8 km), and it’s super quiet at under 40 dBA from 30 m (~100 ft) away.
“Bringing our coaxial propulsion technology to a sub-250g platform while maintaining the durability, performance, and reliability Ascent products are known for has been one of the most rewarding challenges we’ve undertaken,” said Peter Fuchs, company co-founder and CEO. “Helius delivers unmatched capability in its class at a competitive price. It is the drone we’ve wanted to make from the beginning; small enough to fit in your pocket but powerful enough to meet the rigorous demands of public safety, emergency response, and critical industrial missions.”
The Helius made its trade show debut at Verticon in Dallas, Texas, earlier this month, and has been slapped with a rather hefty price tag of US$4,499. The drone is up for pre-order now, with shipping expected to start from Q4 of this year. The short video below has more.
Ascent HELIUS 249g Coaxial Nano UAV
Product page: Helius