I recently spent a sunny day in Seattle at the 5th annual Freefly Fest, (6th if you count Freefly East’s Alta X Fest), flying drones and connecting face-to-face with the engineers, dealers, and end-users who drive this industry forward.
Not too long ago, Freefly was primarily known as a powerhouse in the cinema space. Today, they have fully transitioned from moving cinema sensors to moving industrial sensors. Seeing their commitment to scaling U.S. manufacturing in person reinforces that the aircraft ecosystem we at Drone Amplified rely on to carry our custom payloads—specifically our IGNIS III Mini and MONTIS systems—is maturing rapidly.
Here is what I see as some of the most interesting technological shifts and strategic updates coming out of the event, and what they mean for Drone Amplified and operators in the field.
The Evolution of Payload Integration
One of the most noticeable advancements during the flight demonstrations was the shift in how Freefly handles third-party equipment. With the original Alta X (Gen 1), integrating external sensors, such as laser range finders or cameras like the Gremsy Vio, often required a heavy lift of custom engineering. Drone Amplified tackled this problem with custom electronics and our own GCS App.
The Gen 2 Alta and the Astro platforms represent a fundamental shift toward more flexibility. The architecture is now better equipped to accept third-party cameras and payloads. For operators, this plug-and-play capability means spending less time troubleshooting custom integrations and more time executing the mission. For Drone Amplified this means less time modifying the aircraft, and more time focusing on our payload and software solutions. With that being said, we have already found ways to “Amplify” the Gen 2 Alta and Astro by adding multiple dovetails for multi payload support, such as our smart strobe light (D.A. STROBE), and ASD-B receivers to name a few.
Advanced Mapping and Aerial Mitigation
Mapping was a dominant theme this year, specifically regarding the impressive strides made with the Astro paired with the Sony LR1 and the Flux LiDAR system. While Drone Amplified typically doesn't focus heavily on mapping, the maturity of the Flux LiDAR system presents exciting new opportunities for us. As we expand our avalanche mitigation capabilities, integrating highly accurate LiDAR could open the door to advanced snow-depth mapping and avalanche path analysis.
During our demonstrations, we showcased Drone Amplified’s proprietary MONTIS avalanche system alongside our IGNIS III Mini aerial ignition system. The technical audience was engaged with the novel engineering behind our MONTIS air-blast technology. Giving operators the ability to program precise detonation distances a few meters above the snowpack fundamentally changes the level of control teams have in avalanche terrain.
The Technical Roadmap: What Operators Need to Know
Conversations with the engineering teams at Freefly provided a clear look at some of the near-term technical roadmap for their aircraft. Here are the tactical updates operators should prepare for:
- Increased Radio Range: Expect a significant range improvement for the Doodle Labs radios on the Astro. This addresses past performance limitations and will greatly expand operational reach.
- Simplified Power Logistics: We saw a working prototype for a multi bay battery charger. For crews running the Freefly Astro paired with our IGNIS III Mini payload, this will drastically streamline battery management and reduce the logistical footprint in the field.
- Accelerated Firmware Cycles: Freefly is increasing the iteration speed of their firmware updates. While this means faster access to new features, if you are a Drone Amplified customer, please wait to update your firmware until our team has fully tested and validated the release. This ensures the new Freefly firmware remains completely compatible with Drone Amplified payloads like IGNIS or MONTIS before you head out to the field.
Ultimately, the best part of Freefly Fest is the direct face-to-face feedback. Taking the pulse of Freefly's engineering teams and hearing directly from the operators who push this combined gear to the limit ensures Drone Amplified is building exactly what the industry needs next.
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