Future drones may be controlled by the body movements of the pilot. XTEND Partners with ModalAI to Drive Human-Machine Collaboration
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DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
Today, human-driven autonomous operating system developers are: Expand Announced multi-layer partnership with leading Blue UAS Framework drone manufacturer Modal AI Co., Ltd. Pursuant to the partnership, XTEND will XOS operating system is available with ModalAI’s technology, while XTEND’s human-guided autonomous drone will incorporate ModalAI’s technology. VOXL®2 Autonomous AI autopilot.
XTEND’s Operating System (XOS) provides an easy-to-deploy operating system for drones and robots, allowing any connected device to benefit from XOS’ application ecosystem. The company’s app store is open to third-party developers, allowing users to run third-party applications on their devices. This includes apps for drone positioning and data extraction, payload control, oil and gas infrastructure inspection, and more.
“XOS is in operation all over the world and makes it easy for anyone to remotely connect and operate drones and robotic devices without any prior knowledge or training. Enabling intuitive and immersive navigation, viewing and manipulation, XOS maximizes the potential of drones and robotic systems while reducing concerns about risks to team lives and lack of human oversight. We believe it will be the operating system of choice for anyone looking to pull it off,” said XTEND co. -Ruby Liani, Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). “Our partnership with ModalAI is not just about significantly enhancing the capabilities of our drone and robotics hardware. We envision a very fruitful collaboration with ModalAI and look to them as we expand our business into public safety, security, inspection and other civilian markets. We see them as perfect partners.”
ModalAI’s VOXL® 2 Blue UAS Framework Autopilot condenses autonomous capabilities with an onboard companion computer, PX4 flight controller, and advanced AI up to 15+ TOPS. Powered by the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor, the 16g VOXL® 2 is designed to cut autonomous UAV development time in half or more. With pre-integrated flight hardware and software, his VOXL®2 allows developers to speed up the R&D phase of product development and start developing their own custom UAVs faster.
“We are very excited that XTEND has chosen VOXL® 2 to power their fleet of autonomous drones,” said ModalAI CEO and Co-Founder Chad Sweet. “VOXL® 2 was created to reduce time to market for UAV developers, which is why we are excited about XTEND’s progress in launching VOXL® 2 powered drones. It’s growing every day and we can’t wait to see how XTEND’s XOS and drone fleet will modernize mission-critical applications.”
Both XTEND and ModalAI are part of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Blue UAS Framework, advancing commercial technologies to provide drone users with reliable and sophisticated UAV capabilities.
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Ian attended Dominican University in California and graduated with a BA in English in 2019. With her lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and keen interest in technology, she now contributes to her DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. Miriam is an international speaker and industry recognized figure, with over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and he has over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, email Miriam.
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