PrecisionHawk

PrecisionHawk is a commercial drone and data company. Founded in 2010, PrecisionHawk is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina with another global office in Toronto, Canada and satellite offices around the world. PrecisionHawk is a manufacturer of drones (Lancaster) and has more recently focused heavily on developing software for aerial data analysis (DataMapper) and drone safety systems (LATAS). PrecisionHawk is a member of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Pathfinder Initiative and the NASA UTM Program. An angel investor in the company, Bob Young, founder of Red Hat, became CEO in August 2015.^[1] In August 2016, PrecisionHawk became the first U.S. company to receive an FAA exemption to commercially fly drones beyond the operator’s visual line of site.^[2]

History

PrecisionHawk, originally “WineHawk,” was founded in Toronto, Canada by Christopher Dean and Ernest Earon in 2010 as a manufacturer of autonomous, hand-launched, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles used to dispel predatory birds over vineyards. The direction of the company soon shifted with the addition of cameras to the aircraft that could provide clients with an aerial view of their fields.

PrecisionHawk was incorporated in 2012 as one of the first commercial drone companies focused on agricultural aerial data. Since then, PrecisionHawk began drone servicing for enterprise clients (2011), released its Lancaster drone (2012), founded DataMapper (2014), launched LATAS (2015), acquired TerraServer (2015), partnered with drone giant DJI (2016) and began manufacturing sensors (2016). Closing a series C round of investment in May 2016, PrecisionHawk’s global investors include Intel, Dupont, Verizon, Yamaha, USAA and NTT Docomo.^[3][4] While agriculture continues to be a major market for PrecisionHawk, top industries also include energy, insurance, mining, construction, emergency response and environmental monitoring.

Drones

The PrecisionHawk Lancaster drone is named after Ron Lancaster, a Canadian Football League quarterback. Since its initial release, there have been five iterations of the Lancaster. Lancaster 5 technical specs include:

• Type: Single electric motor (fixed wing)
• Weight (no payload): 2.4 kg | 5.3 lbs
• Max takeoff weight: 3.55 kg | 7.8 lbs
• Wingspan: 1.5 m | 4.9 ft
• Cruise speed: 12–16 m/s | 43.2 - 57.6 km/hr
• Max speed: 22 m/s | 79 km/hr
• Survey altitude: 50m - 300m | 164 ft - 984 ft
• Max operating altitude: 2500 m | 8,200 ft
• Survey area per flight: Approx. 300 acres at 100m / 328 ft altitude
• Flight time: up to 45 minutes
• Communications range: 2 km | 1.2 mi
• Processor: 720 MHz dual core Linux CPU
• Power source: 7000 mAhr
• Max operating temperature: 40C, 104F

Lancaster features a swappable payload bay for various camera sensors. Available sensors include visual, thermal infrared, multispectral, lidar and hyperspectral. PrecisionHawk offers in-house and out-bound training of its hardware offerings.

In May 2016, PrecisionHawk began selling DJI Matrice platforms in partnership with DJI. The “Smarter Farming Package” is a bundle of a fully assembled DJI Matrice with a 1-year subscription to PrecisionHawk’s DataMapper software program.^[5] Multispectral and visual sensors are included in the package. A similar “Precision Aggregates Package” is also available for mining and construction applications.

DataMapper

Originally called “PrecisionMapper,” DataMapper is PrecisionHawk’s drone software and data division. Available software includes:

• DataMapper InFlight is a flight software that is a downloadable mobile application available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The software is for users of DJI drones or the PrecisionHawk Lancaster and ensures quality data tags for accurate mapping and analysis.^[6]
• DataMapper InField is a software application to review flight coverage on-site and add Ground Control Points. This software is compatible with all drones.
• DataMapper Local is a desktop photogrammetry application for offline aerial imagery processing into 2D/3D orthomosaic maps. This software is compatible with all drones.
• DataMapper Cloud, housed on DataMapper.com, is a cloud-based photogrammtry and analysis software for offline aerial imagery processing into 2D/3D orthomosaic maps as well as automated data analysis using prioriety algorithms released as part of the Algorithm Marketplace. This software is compatible with all drones.
• The Algorithm Marketplace, sometimes called “AlgoMarket,” is the first app store for drone data allowing users to gain insights from their 2D and 3D maps by selecting and applying algorithms that are developed by an in-house team of GIS scientists and in partnership with research universities and corporations. Current apps include volume calculations, plant count, plant height and vegetative health measurements (NDVI). The Algorithm Marketplace is available through DataMapper.com.

LATAS

LATAS (Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety) is PrecisionHawk’s drone safety platform launched as a platform to manage the millions of expected drones that will enter the airspace domestically and internationally. LATAS is available through a web dashboard and also in the DataMapper InFlight mobile application and allows a user to track their drone in relation to ground obstacles, such as buildings and powerlines, and air obstacles, such as airplanes and helicopters. Auto-avoidance technology is in development. The LATAS software is being used as part of PrecisionHawk’s involvement in the FAA Pathfinder Initiative. Corporate LATAS partners include Verizon, Harris Corporation and Digital Globe.^[7] In 2016, LATAS signed an exclusive deal with Harris Corporation to integrate Harris’ real-time manned aircraft data feed into LATAS so manned aircraft can be viewed live.^[8]

TerraServer

In March 2015, PrecisionHawk acquired TerraServer, a commercial website specializing in aerial and satellite imagery. TerraServer gained international attention in the late 1990s as the first website to offer satellite imagery publicly on the internet. TerraServer is a reseller of imagery in partnership with DigitalGlobe and USGS among others. New GIS offerings through parent company PrecisionHawk are in development.

References