Remember the DJI and BYD Lingyuan system?
That drone docking systems where drone maker DJI and their vehicle making counterparts BYD customised a car rooftop into a drone tailor made for the DJI Air 3S drone?
In this system, the drone can launch, follow the car (up to 54 km/h), land dynamically while moving (up to 25 km/h), and self-recharges directly from the vehicle.
The Lungyuan system is currently available as a premium option on select BYD and premium sub-brand models in China, such as the Fang Cheng Bao Bao 8 (Bao 8) off-roader and the Yangwang U8.
Or was – until an enterprising start-up in the UK though to recreate in for local inspection operations. Only they are doing it using an actual DJI Dock 3 mounted on a customised base design for a Ford Ranger.
See what happens when you decide to hide technology from the world, DJI? Necessity is the mother of invention after all.
UK inspection drone start-up Team UAV has designed a mobile system for its drone docks, which can be mounted on a Ford Ranger, and have the car act as a launchpad for drones from wherever they are needed.
Company founder Lewis Pritchard the customisations were integral for business operations, as they converted the Ranger into a mini aircraft carrier, giving operators a self-contained base to fly from wherever our drone crews are needed.
“Lots of our work involves disaster response in remote areas, so off-road capability is essential,” Pritchard said.
“The Ranger’s wading capability is a big plus when we’re driving through floodwater to launch a damage assessment, or accessing a mountain or forest for environmental survey.
“The set up in the load bed is actually fairly simple. We decided to use an off-the-shelf accessory tray as the basis, so we can move the kit between our fleet or even bolt it into a Ranger on short-term hire for a large contract if needed.”
Pritchard founded Team UAV after his sojourn in the Niger Delta as a security consultant on pipelines, transferring his military expertise in surveillance to civilian drone projects.
“This convinced me that there was a market for drone work and once back in the UK, Team UAV was born,” he says.
“We've come a long way since then; our first report included literally thousands of numbered and printed A4 photos but today, we can live-stream high-definition footage to experts or create maps and 3D models for customers of whatever our drones see.
“That level of tech means lots of our work is putting an eye in the sky where a human can’t easily or safely go — think inspecting pylons, bridges and wind turbines, surveying the impact of flooding, or even feeding data into a UK Government COBRA emergency response meeting.”
Pritchard’s work has taken him far flung places, where often they have needed to be totally self-contained on site.
Hence the Ranger conversion.
“We use an inverter to power our software, connectivity and communications kit as well as the drone dock itself and battery chargers. As power is so essential to our on-site work, we also use solar panels and extra batteries.
“Knowing our Ranger fleet is available to reach almost any site and turn it into a high-tech office and launchpad is a major differentiator for Team UAV, which has helped us support vital healthcare, infrastructure and safety-critical projects across the country.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Prichard calls his flet off-road aircraft carriers: at the time of writing, they were in the Scottish Highlands surveying pylons before going on to protect some of the UK’s critical infrastructure projects carrying out perimeter security work.
“It’s a long way from my time in the military or those early days in the Niger Delta, but I love that I still get to be part of a tight-knit team developing new ways to get tough jobs done.”