AIM

The SILENT FLYER aims to revolutionize the commercial drone’s market by introducing the first UAV that combines silent flight (<70dB of noise emission) and bird-like appearance while incorporating accurate vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities to operate in turbulent weather conditions.

OPPORTUNITY

The first pilotless vehicles were built during the First World War, being first deployed on a large scale in the Vietnam War. Since then, models have become more sophisticated, with improved endurance and the ability to maintain greater height[1].  From a military perspective, the technological landscape has altered dramatically in the last years, with special operations forces starting to realize that UAVs constitute an excellent replacement of existing aerial photography, inspection/monitoring and (real-time) data collection methods. However, as fleets of delivery UAVs are poised for deployment, constant noise pollution from “humming” is expected to create new legislatures for silent operation[2].  For this, EC has recently developed a strategy to support the progressive development of UAVs in Europe aiming to clear UAVs regulations by 2019[3].

In this background, we founded in 2012 Flygildi. Our aim was to develop a disruptive UAV, like nothing seen before, and launch to the market an environmental-friendly, noise-reduced UAV, that “looks-like a bird and flies-like a bird”, so we designed SILENT FLYER.

[1] A brief history of drones, Imperial War Museum 2018

[2] Watch air swirl around a quadcopter drone’s rotors, Wired, 2017

[3] EU unveils plans to regulate drones by 2019, Phys.org, 2017