Research
Research & Development with Drones from Tyrol
The drive to develop new solutions has always been firmly rooted in our company. We actively drive innovation forward, both through funded research projects and through continuous in-house development. The insights gained from this work are directly incorporated into our products and services. In this way, we ensure that our solutions are always state-of-the-art and offer our customers genuine added value.
Alternative Propulsion Systems
As part of our research and development activities, we are conducting in-depth work on alternative propulsion systems for multi-rotor drones. A particular focus is on the use of hydrogen as a forward-looking energy source to significantly increase range, efficiency and sustainability. In addition to integrating hydrogen propulsion systems into existing and new platforms, we are developing practical refuelling systems for hydrogen tanks. The aim is to enable the practical use of hydrogen-powered drones through safe, efficient and mobile refuelling solutions.
Another key focus is on the maintenance and servicing of PEM fuel cells. Here, we are developing processes and expertise to ensure the reliability and service life of the systems in operational use. On our in-house test bench, performance parameters of H2 components can be specifically tested and ageing processes assessed, which enables the reconditioning of equipment in the interests of sustainability.
Drone swarms
In collaboration with national and international research partners, we are investigating the use of drone swarms for a variety of applications. In addition to developing the necessary hardware and software, communication between the drones themselves and between the drones and a ground station plays a particularly important role. It is only through this that individual, isolated drones become an interacting and cooperatively working swarm with an overarching function. Thanks to years of experience in drone manufacturing, Twins plays a key role in the field of system integration and data interfaces. The use of in-house equipment reduces external dependencies and brings direct benefits to a wide variety of research projects.
Autonomous flight
Autonomous flight – a magical term that promises complete independence and, at the same time, maximum control. Countless national and international teams are currently conducting research into how to make this a reality. To make such a vast undertaking more manageable, sub-tasks are defined and work is focused on solving them. Among other things, we are addressing safety-related issues such as the error-free detection of obstacles and the execution of safe evasive manoeuvres, the development of take-off and landing pads for unmanned operation, and the communication and control infrastructure required for trouble-free deployment. We are also focusing on aspects such as weather resistance, night-flight capability and the regulatory framework for legally compliant operation.
Contract Research & Customer-Focused Development
In addition to funded research projects, we also undertake independent development work and projects commissioned by clients. Our focus is always on meeting our clients’ requirements or solving a specific client problem. In past projects, we have, among other things, revolutionised the use of terrestrial measuring equipment in dense forests through the use of high-precision drone positioning. Furthermore, we regularly develop specific measurement systems to, for example, measure the albedo of surfaces using drones. We would be happy to take care of your development projects or assist you with scientific enquiries.
Our current research activities:
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FFG 6G-SKY
Development of drones for creating a digital twin for railway monitoring and other linear infrastructure
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FFG BRIDGE EMV Landing
Development of a platform for precision landings using magnetic sensors
| Funding Program | Project | Description |
|---|---|---|
| FFG | 6G-SKY | Development of drones for creating digital twins in railway monitoring and other linear infrastructure applications. |
| FFG BRIDGE | EMV Landing | Development of a platform for precision landing using magnetic sensor technology. |
| FFG FORTE | EO-DETECT | Development of hydrogen-powered drones for military surveillance missions. |
| FFG KIRAS | USKIT | Development of self-organizing, swarm-capable drones for monitoring critical infrastructure. |
| FFG TAKE OFF | UAVNoiseCheck | Quantified noise measurements for various drones and payload configurations. |
| FFG TAKE OFF | SpecDrone | Detection of methane concentrations using the open-path method based on mass spectrometry. |
| FFG FORTE | Nike ROBCOMM | Development of robust M2M/M2G communication systems for underground UAV operations. |
| FFG FORTE | HyDroneREC | Autonomous flight systems with extended endurance through the use of hydrogen technology for reconnaissance scenarios. |
| FFG TAKE OFF | SAMURAI | Development of a secure and reliable high-performance multicopter platform. |
Completed research projects:
| Funding Scheme | Project | Description |
|---|---|---|
| K-REGIO ERDF | SafeAviationTyrol | Practical and rapidly deployable solutions for safety challenges associated with drone operations. |
| FFG KIRAS | UASwarm | Development of swarm-capable drones to support emergency response teams in wildfire suppression operations. |
| Tyrol Lighthouse Initiative | EMV-SAFE | Establishment of an infrastructure for EMC measurements of sensitive electronic assemblies. |
| FFG KIRAS | KI-Secure | Partially/autonomous 24/7 support for operators and emergency services in the protection of critical infrastructure. |
| FFG TAKE OFF | MUKISANO | AI-based navigation module for object-oriented real-time precision navigation and predefined data acquisition configurations. |
| FFG KIRAS | KI-SecAssist | AI-based cooperative aerial and ground robotics to support emergency response teams in crisis situations. |
| K-REGIO ERDF | Hydrogen Drone | Development of a hydrogen-powered flight platform including an integrated hydrogen storage tank. |
| FFG KIRAS | NIKE-SwarmNav | Development of an indoor drone swarm system. |
