3DR announce that they’ve established a US-based joint venture with Yuneec—a world leading manufacturer of commercial and consumer UAVs—to bring new products based on the Dronecode platform to market.

The joint venture, 3DR Government Services, is focused on serving the security and open platform needs of US government customers and their vendors in construction, engineering, and public safety.

3DR Government Services will combine Yuneec’s UAV system expertise and manufacturing scale with the capabilities enabled by 3DR’s software. Our first product is the Yuneec 3DR H520-G, available in October, which includes the complete Site Scan platform integrated with a custom version of the Dronecode-based Yuneec H520 sUAS. It also includes a simplified and smaller controller designed for Apple’s iOS devices, and works with both Autodesk and Esri platforms, the leading software ecosystems in the construction and geospatial industries respectively.

The H520-G, which includes a full integration with Site Scan and a new, simpler controller.

We made this move to support the increased demand for vendor choice by government agencies and contractors at the federal, state and local level, along with increased need for open platforms that can be security certified and more easily approved for operations beyond the constraints of today’s FAA’s Part 107 waivers. Also, use of the Dronecode PX4 software is already becoming a public sector standard: the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx)—their effort to create a new, standardized platform for small, low-cost UAVs—has specified the use of Dronecode PX4 in part because its open source core and commercial-friendly BSD license, which allows for easy integration and validation by different vendors.

Both 3DR and Yuneec have a long history of supplying UAS solutions to US government agencies and contractors: we work closely with the US Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, many public safety organizations, and a number of state DOTs across the country. The Department of the Interior, for example, has a UAS fleet to map public land and better respond to wildfires. State DOTs use UAS solutions to safely inspect and rehabilitate bridges, while public safety organizations use them to get an aerial view to better respond to emergencies. Construction and engineering firms contracted on public sector projects also have a wide array of use cases for drones: capturing up-to-date existing conditions when designing new infrastructure, for example, and be able to easily map and share progress over time. By establishing 3DR Government Services and introducing the H520-G, 3DR and Yuneec are now able to go to market together as a fully US-based company and provide public agencies and contractors a reliable, cost-effective, American-made solution.

As our CEO, Chris Anderson, said: “This joint venture cements a strong relationship that goes back to the start of Dronecode and the shared belief that an open software platform would help the drone industry grow and mature faster, just as it has in so many other industries. For US government customers who are increasingly looking for US-based trusted solutions, this combination of global leaders in hardware and software provides the best of both worlds.”

“For US government customers who are increasingly looking for US-based trusted solutions, this combination of global leaders in hardware and software provides the best of both worlds.”

— Chris Anderson, CEO, 3DR

Michael Jiang, CEO of Yuneec International, adds: “Since our launch of the H520 last year, Yuneec has committed to provide public agencies and commercial enterprises with a sUAS that improves their workflow effectiveness. This strategic partnership with 3DR is yet another powerful example of that ongoing commitment. We’ve built a commercial enterprise platform based on the Dronecode open source and the H520 system. Together with 3DR, we have leveraged that implementation to provide a robust and secure solution for US government agencies.”

To learn more about 3DR’s suite of offerings for government projects, including our Esri integration, visit 3dr.com/industries/government. If you’re a public agency or vendor looking for a UAS solution, reach out to our team—we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.