Undefined Technologies, a Florida-based startup, recently announced that its eVTOL ion propulsion drone, Silent Ventus™, has successfully completed a critical test flight hitting its projected flight time and lifting power, making this a major milestone for the emerging dual-use cargo delivery drone. During the 4-1/2 minute flight the company reports the aircraft demonstrated its flight performance beyond reaching steady-state conditions – with higher efficiency power delivery systems and noise levels below 75 dB.
“We’ve been on this upward trajectory for nearly a whole year, working hard on overcoming many technical challenges related to craft’s cooling systems, battery lifetime, avionics, and noise-abatement technologies,” says Tomas Pribanic, Founder and CEO of Undefined Technologies.
The company reports on its website it “aims to achieve flights of 15-minutes of duration with noise levels below 70 dB by the end of the next year, overcoming noise restrictions for the last-mile cargo delivery sector. Noise is the second biggest environmental factor causing health problems after only air pollution, according to the WHO report and the UN report in February.
“From the beginning, the company has followed a strict vertical integration model by designing and manufacturing its components in-house to speed up development, protect its intellectual property, and minimize supply chain disruptions in the current world environment.
“The core element of the aircraft is the so-called “Ion Booster,” which generates the ion cloud to yield higher levels of thrust, up to 150% compared to current ion thruster technologies. The “boost” of thrust generated by the innovative technology creates a technical and commercial opportunity for ion thrusters to become a viable option for electric propulsion.
“The company aims to develop a production-ready serial drone in 2024 and after receiving strong interest from Federal and Commercial entities, Undefined Technologies is posed to start a new funding round.”
For more information
(Image: Undefined Technologies)
