A Latvian company called Aerones is developing a new type of heavy-duty drone that can do everything from physically rescuing humans out of the water to de-icing the blades of a wind turbine.
The powerful craft can lift up to 100kg and uses a whopping 36 propellors to keep it airborne.
What makes this particular drone special however is that while it can be completely mobile, the company has also developed a tether system that allows it to reach impressive heights while still being connected to a water supply and power source.
According to Aerone this makes it perfect for performing tasks that could include firefighting without placing humans near danger or even de-icing a wind turbine at just a fraction of the cost.
The tether also provides the drone with power, solving the constant battery limitations that even the most advanced drones still suffer from. This drone can effectively stay airborne indefinitely.
Speaking to The Verge, the startup says it’s still in the process of raising enough funds to become fully commercialised but that the response has been overwhelming.
So far Aerone has run a number of rudimentary tests on what functions the UAV could serve which include:
Search and Rescue
Firefighting
Wind Turbine De-Icing