The Toulouse-based start-up has designed an all-terrain, amphibious military observation drone, thanks to its fully inflatable structure. After a trial phase with European armies and coastguards, Diodon Drone Technology is launching a second, more powerful version this month, with stabilized images.
This month, Diodon Drone Technology launches the second version of its inflatable defense and rescue drone. This Toulouse-based start-up, founded in 2017 by two alumni of Isae-Supaero Antoine Tournet and Roman Luciani, has designed the only observation drone with a fully inflatable structure, with no rigid parts, that can land on any terrain, even at sea.
This 1.9 kg waterproof aircraft is easy to transport deflated, and inflates with a bicycle pump. Powered by four electric motors, it has a range of half an hour. The challenge was to achieve high flight precision with an inflatable structure.
The founders had originally imagined a drone to film themselves skiing or surfing. As the consumer market was difficult, they shifted their focus to defense in 2017 after meeting with French Special Forces military personnel who were looking for an all-terrain reconnaissance drone. At the end of 2018, they marketed an initial 1.4-kg aircraft equipped with a thermal camera, 15 of which were sold as prototypes to four armies in Europe and to coastguard services. Its ability to take off and land on water means it can be deployed with a small boat. Dust-resistant, it was tested this summer by the French army in Mali.
10 army pre-orders
These experiments have enabled improvements to be made to the new version, which was presented this summer to the armed forces and emergency services. The optical and thermal camera images have been stabilized, the range of secure data transmission has been doubled to 4 kilometers, and the aircraft can now fly more autonomously.
The company has filed three patents on the inflatable structure and the electronics sealing components. Developments are also underway with offshore oil and wind platforms. "We have about ten pre-orders from the army, and we're working with French defense manufacturers who are trying to integrate us into their programs, says Antoine Tournet, President of Diodon Drone Technology. After securing 500,000 euros in equity and debt in 2019, the company will prepare to raise funds in 2021 to build a workshop with a capacity of 10 drones per month.
