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senseFly eBee Autonomous 2D/3D Mapping Drone

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by

gchoe
in , , , , , ,

senseFly eBee UAV Drone

This has to be one of the best autonomous drones I have seen in a while.  Not only is it available for purchase today, it is incredibly well thought out.  The senseFly eBee UAV can fly pre-programmed flight path or can be flown by remote control.  The main purpose of the eBee is to create 2D/3D aerial maps.  Perfect for managing crops, wildlife, development, etc,

The senseFly eBee is made of a foam body, has detachable wings, a 16-megapixel camera, is hand launch-able, and comes with software (eMotion 2) that allows you to set the flight route or take over control.  Once the eBee has done its UAV flight it can return to home base and land all by itself.

The eBee and its gear fit in a hard case that is meets the International Air Transport Associate guidelines for carry on.  See, they thought of everything.  The only bummer is the price tag at around $12,000.  Feel free to send donations my way Smile.

Video and more details after the break.

 

1. EASY TO USE

senseFly drones are the most easy-to-use drones on the market, thanks to senseFly’s proprietary control & monitoring software eMotion 2. 

2. A COMPLETE SOLUTION

Our drones are turn-key solutions and include all the accessories required for operation. On receipt of your drone you can download the latest version of our control and monitoring software eMotion 2 and image processing software Postflight Terra LT (swinglet CAM) / Postflight Terra 3D-EB (eBee) at no extra cost.

3. INHERENTLY SAFER

senseFly’s drones are the lightest mapping drones on the market with a take-off weight of only 500g for the swinglet CAM and 670g for the eBee. Their flexible foam airframe and rear-mounted propeller are designed to ensure the safety of both the drone and the people on the ground.

4. OPERATIONAL IN SECONDS & COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS

All our drones are out of the box and ready to fly in seconds. They are completely autonomous and can be operated by a single person. 

5. HIGH ENDURANCE

Our drones can fly between 30 and 45 minutes on a single battery, depending the model. 

6. EASY TO TRANSPORT

All our drones including all necessary accessories fit in a single, carry-on-sized case. 

7. WIND RESISTANT

Despite their low weight, our drones are capable of flying in windy conditions; up to 25km/h for the swinglet CAM and up to 45km/h for the eBee.

8. HARD TO BREAK

Stress tests on our drones demonstrate that the foam airframe is able to absorb significant impacts without damage. 

9. HIGH-LEVEL SUPPORT

Customer support is the highest priority for senseFly’s support team and its local resellers. Our aim is to help you as quickly as possible with any questions or issues you may have.

10. AFFORDABLE

All of our drones are designed for low maintenance, allowing low overall costs and quick return on investment.

Comments

4 responses to “senseFly eBee Autonomous 2D/3D Mapping Drone”

  1. Wafula Avatar
    Wafula

    Thanks for the innovation.suppose the drone is in air and goes around a hill.can it loss communication with the ground controller i.e remote when on the other side of the hill?
    if yes,how help it mantain track.

    incase of danger and the sensefly desides to land before reaching destination station,how will u help to let it land at an accessible place to avoid loss of it completely

  2. Daniel Avatar
    Daniel

    Pros and cons of Ebee by Parrot "“ An honest opinion from a real user (July 2014)

    I am very surprised very few users of the Ebee have added comments on the Internet about their experience with this drone. Here is what I have found after using a 2014 Ebee with an RGB and NIR camera for over 6 months.

    Pros:
    "¢ E-motion: the software use on the computer to program missions and flight the drone is very friendly and with a lot of interest options
    "¢ Landing and other algorithms: the Ebee comes with very good algorithms that allow it to land in small places (min 50x50mts) and get out of difficult situations such as abort landing or correct taking path if it was launched with the wind
    "¢ Eeasy to set-up and transport: The Ebee comes in a small suitcase that airlines allow you to carry it as hand luggage. Putting it together before each flight is easy.
    Cons:
    "¢ Expensive parts: the drone is a proprietary design and, therefore, the manufacturer make you pay for every single part to dollars. A plastic replacement propeller cost US$79, battery US$150 and so on. The most outrages a pair of wings, which cost US$380!. These parts (which with the same characteristics in the open hobby market would cost you a 10th) are also difficult to get because distributors do not hold a stock and they come from Switzerland (where the Ebee factory is located)
    "¢ A close system: You are forced to use distributors with very limited autonomy to try to fix anything that it is not working. You cannot do any maintenance or calibrations. In most cases your repairs would have to get authorized by engineers in Switzerland something that takes weeks not days,. Seriously. If you unfortunately crash it, the Ebee would have to be send to Switzerland and only for checking it, they would charge you US$1000.
    "¢ Customized software: Even though when you buy the ebee it comes with PiX4D software Terra, it is actually a restricted version that only can process image by the Ebee. We have another two drones and we where force to purchase another license
    "¢ Service: as it is a proprietary, close, expensive with customize closed software for flying and post-processing you cannot expect good service. Everything takes long, is expensive and not reliable (in two occasions I have been embarrassed by the Ebee not been able to fly after clients have taken us to remote locations for demonstrations or productions)

    Conclusions: there is a high-end market for drones where the Ebee is located. They are expensive but are designed to do aerial-photography with no much need of programming or flying experinece . When there are no problems in a mission, the Ebee flights well and the results are good. However, the reality is that sooner or later you would have a difficult situation and the Ebee would have problems unless you take the remote control and save it. Thankfully I am an expert RC pilot and I have been able to save the Ebee multiple times. If you are not confortable taking the remote control to bring it back when it cannot land or the engine fails, perhaps the Ebee is not an option for you. On the other hand, if cash is not a problem for you or your company and you feel confident with RC flying, the Ebee would be an out-of-the-shelve solution that could start working from day 1.

  3. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    thanks for your comment Daniel. it was very usefull to know a user experience

  4. Israel Avatar
    Israel

    Buenos someone could help me with geo referenced images Postflight Terra 3D 3 software

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