Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Intel Launches Its First Branded Drone

    By
    Jeff Burt
    -
    October 12, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Falcon 8+

      Intel officials have cited drones as an important growth market for the chip maker, and the company has been aggressive in getting its technologies—including silicon and software—into devices from other companies.

      Now Intel is rolling out a drone of its own, with the company’s name not only on components inside the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), but also on the outside.

      At the InterGeo 2016 show this week, Intel officials unveiled the Falcon 8+, the company’s first branded drone. It builds off the work done on the Falcon 8, a commercial drone developed by Ascending Technologies, a startup that Intel had worked with before buying it earlier this year. The octocopter is designed for industrial and commercial work, including inspection, surveying and mapping, and comes with a broad range of capabilities and a sophisticated control unit.

      “Drones are an important computing platform for the future, and Intel is positioning itself at the forefront of this opportunity to provide the compute, sensor, communications and cloud integration for the growing drone ecosystem,” Josh Walden, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group, wrote in a post on the company blog. “The system provides detailed images down to millimeter accuracy and gives valuable structural analysis that helps users detect and prevent further damage to infrastructure. Operators will have tremendous opportunities to generate valuable aerial precision data.”

      The drone market—for both consumers and business users—is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. In a recent report on the general state of aviation in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicted that by 2020 about 4.3 million UAVs will be sold to consumers, and another 2.7 million will be sold to businesses for commercial use. The FAA is trying to get out in front of the trend by developing regulations regarding drone operations.

      Intel and Qualcomm have been among the most aggressive chip makers in the drone space. Intel has worked with and invested in drone makers like Yuneec—whose Typhoon H uses Intel’s RealSense 3D camera technology to help navigate and avoid obstacles—and Ascending, which had rolled out the AscTec Falcon 8, which also includes Intel products. Intel also offers the Intel Aero Platform that gives developers the foundation on which to build their own drones.

      The chip maker also is partnering with AT&T to test drone capabilities and has put on nighttime displays where a hundred drones are launched into the sky and operated by a single pilot. In addition, CEO Brian Krzanich chairs an FAA advisory board that will help the agency create regulations for drones.

      Drone developers initially targeted the consumer space, but now more of the systems—such as the AscSec 8—are making their way into the commercial market. Now comes the Falcon 8+ from Intel. The new UAV reportedly can travel up to 35 mph, and includes Intel’s Powerpack for longer battery life—up to 26 minutes at a time—and the AscTec Trinity technology, which officials described as a triple-redundant autopilot that includes measurement capabilities that make up for external pressures like electromagnetic fields or strong winds.

      The drone is controlled via the Intel Cockpit, which uses an Intel-based tablet (most other user faces are based on smartphones), which company officials said makes for easier operation. The controller is water-resistant, features a joystick and supports live views of up to 1080p resolutions.

      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×