senseFly, the global leader in fixed-wing mapping drones, has announced a new distribution partnership with North Carolina-based Tough Stump Technologies. The partnership is designed to help professionals and organizations in the defense and governmental sectors with the collection and analysis of aerial intelligence and tactical mapping data using advanced UAS (drones).
Tough Stump Technologies, an American, Service-Disabled Veteran, owned and operated business specializing in remote sensing, situational awareness and mobile communications, has added the senseFly eBee X fixed-wing mapping drone and its extensive portfolio of senseFly drone sensors (cameras) to its ARTEMIS (Aerial Reconnaissance Tactical Edge Mapping and Imagery System) solution.
“This collaboration has been a game-changer for government organizations carrying out tactical mapping missions. Where traditional satellite and manned aircraft methods leave a gap in the accuracy and quality of data collection, we’ve shown that drones – combined with the right software and training – can provide significant value to units,” said Ben Brown, co-founder/CFO at Tough Stump Technologies.
The ARTEMIS package offers customers access to a deployment kit, a four-day training program and 12-months of support and maintenance, in addition to the eBee X – senseFly’s flagship fixed-wing mapping drone.
“Tough Stump Technologies are true innovators in their field,” comments senseFly CEO Gilles Labossière. “We’ve collaborated closely on this solution to ensure our professional drone systems meet the stringent demands of defense and government applications, while continuing to set new standards in tactical mapping.”
The senseFly eBee X is an advanced fixed-wing mapping drone designed to boost the quality and efficiency of high-resolution aerial data acquisition. It is compatible with multiple, state-of-the-art sensors, and its lightweight frame makes it easy to transport into and out of the field. The eBee X is suited for long-range reconnaissance and tactical mapping missions and features a single flight time of 59 minutes. An available Endurance Extension option enables flight times of up to 90 minutes and single-flight coverage of up to 500 ha at 122m (1,236 A at 400 ft.). To achieve greater mapping accuracy, eBee X offers high-precision, on-demand RTK/PPK for achieving absolute accuracy down to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) – without ground control points.
Jarrett Heavenston, co-founder/CEO at Tough Stump Technologies adds, “senseFly is unique and their global network means we can count on them for their support anywhere in the world. We’re learning a lot from each other, helping to push the boundaries of technology and make fixed-wing drones an essential tactical mapping tool for government agencies in the field.”
Combined, the senseFly eBee X and Tough Stump Technologies’ ARTEMIS system facilitate the safe and rapid collection and analysis of critical geospatial data, which in turn improves the large-scale mapping capabilities of on-the-ground tactical units—providing them with important safety and efficiency benefits in the field.
Users can generate 2D maps and 3D reconstructions of vertical environments or utilize elevation data acquired from the eBee X’s onboard camera to create detailed digital surface models (DSMs). Thanks to Tough Stump Technologies’ partnership with the Google Earth Enterprise Platform (GEEP), users are able to access and share mapping data of significant tactical value with a powerful but easy to operate tool designed for the tactical edge.
The senseFly eBee X has made important inroads with government agencies searching for safer ways to collect survey and topographic data. In 2019, the U.S. Army Engineer and Support Center conducted initial survey flights to determine the viability of using the eBee X to gather data in hazardous areas instead of deploying human personnel.