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ModalAI® accelerates development of smaller, smarter and safer drones with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks. Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI spun out of Qualcomm® in 2018 and leverages over five years of prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. ModalAI’s VOXL product line helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably. For more information visit www.modalai.com.
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 2, 2021 – ModalAI® officially released two new products today that help developers create smaller, smarter and safer robots and drones quickly and easily – the VOXL CAM™ perception engine and the Seeker™ micro-development drone, the world’s first micro-development drone optimized for development of both indoor and outdoor autonomous navigation. Both new products are now on sale at modalai.com.
The VOXL CAM is an all-in-one compute and perception engine that makes it easier to develop smaller, smarter and safer drones, robots and Internet of Things (IoT) devices with GPS-denied navigation, depth mapping, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flight control and cellular connectivity. The credit card-sized VOXL CAM powers the Seeker micro-development drone, ModalAI’s newest and smallest drone to date.
“The VOXL CAM platform provides smarter perception and safer navigation for autonomous devices beyond drones. For commercial and industrial developers and researchers who want powerful perception and autonomy, the VOXL CAM’s small form factor and modularity make it easy to mount onto drones, robots and wearable IoT devices,” said Chad Sweet, CEO, ModalAI. “It condenses the computing power of seven PCBs and four concurrent image sensors into one compact, modular platform.”
VOXL CAM Perception Engine Offers Smart Computing and Safe Indoor Navigation, All in One Small Package
Built on the foundation of the VOXL Flight Deck, the VOXL CAM is a single printed circuit board (PCB) that easily attaches to robots, drones or IoT devices to activate autonomy for a breadth of applications.
The VOXL CAM perception engine includes the integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon 821 chipset, which enables GPS-denied navigation, depth mapping, object detection, obstacle avoidance and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM).
The VOXL CAM perception engine has four image sensor concurrencies onboard, including:
It pre-integrates a PX4 drone flight controller, ModalAI’s Flight Core™. In addition, it has three onboard Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and a barometer for controlling flight height.
Seeker Micro-Development Drone is Ideal for Indoor and Outdoor Autonomous Navigation
The Seeker micro-development drone has a small form factor and enhanced visual capabilities, making it optimal for drones to safely and autonomously navigate tight spaces indoors and outdoors. The base weight of the VOXL CAM onboard the Seeker is just 57.5 grams and 87 grams with the flight controller and modem installed. It can also operate on the 4G cellular network, depending on the configuration.
“The Seeker drone is the smallest reference drone ModalAI has designed to date. It’s a true micro-drone with powerful computing in a small form factor perfect for navigating GPS-denied, tight spaces that people can’t reach,” said Sweet. “Its micro-design unlocks a plethora of use cases for developers ranging from asset inspection to mission-critical.”
Both products are built on Blue UAS Framework components VOXL Flight and Flight Core. ModalAI’s autopilots are Assembled in America and compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA 2020).
Order the VOXL CAM perception engine from ModalAI starting at $999.99 or the Seeker micro-development drone starting at $2,999 at modalai.com.
About ModalAI
ModalAI accelerates the development of smaller, smarter and safer drones with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks.
Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI spun out of Qualcomm® in 2018 and leverages over five years of prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. For more information visit www.modalai.com.
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Business Intelligence Group today announced that ModalAI, Inc. was named a winner in its Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program. ModalAI was selected for its groundbreaking VOXL autonomy platform that enables hundreds of integrators to develop smaller, smarter, and safer drones and robots.
“It was clear to our judges that ModalAI uses AI to improve the lives of their customers and employees. Congratulations to the entire team!” Tweet this
“It was clear to our judges that ModalAI uses AI to improve the lives of their customers and employees. Congratulations to the entire team!”
ModalAI’s VOXL open-development platform harnesses the power of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets to enable autonomy and communications for indoor and outdoor, drones and robots with vision-based control for AI for movement, designed specifically for GPS-denied, autonomous UAVs. In addition to partnering with the Department of Defense to develop the next generation of Blue UAS Framework VOXL autopilots, ModalAI serves over 300 developers and researchers all over the world. In 2021, ModalAI released the Qualcomm Flight™ RB5 5G Platform, the world’s first 5G and AI-enabled drone development platform; ushering in a new era of 5G UAVs.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by the Business Intelligence Group for a second year in a row for our work of driving the innovation and growth of the U.S. drone industry,” said Chad Sweet, CEO and co-founder of ModalAI. “ModalAI stays committed to enabling developers with the best-in-class AI and perception units they need to create the next generation of smaller, smarter, and safer drones and robots.”
“We are so proud to name ModalAI, Inc. as a winner in our inaugural Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program”, said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer for Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear to our judges that ModalAI uses AI to improve the lives of their customers and employees. Congratulations to the entire team!”
About ModalAI, Inc. https://modalai.com/
ModalAI® accelerates development of smaller, smarter and safer drones and robots with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks.
Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI spun out of Qualcomm® in 2018 and leverages over five years of prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets.
ModalAI’s VOXL product line helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably. For more information, visit www.modalai.com.
About Business Intelligence Group www.bintelligence.com
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ModalAI today announced it will be the manufacturer and distributor of Qualcomm Technologies’ world first 5G and AI-enabled drone platform and reference design, the Qualcomm Flight™ RB5 5G Platform, available now for pre-order at ModalAI.com.
The Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform is a development platform that developers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can use to build drone and flight applications based on the Qualcomm® QRB5165 System-on-a-Chip (SoC). The QRB5165 SoC supports autonomous flight using 5G cellular technology and the 5th generation Qualcomm® Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engine. See the drone design in action in this video.
“As a global digital transformation leader, Qualcomm Technologies is committed to providing on-device intelligence and premium connectivity drone solutions that will unleash innovation across industries, helping to develop smaller, lighter and safer drones. We are pleased to work with ModalAI as our distributor to scale these solutions,” said Dev Singh, senior director, business development and general manager of autonomous robotics, drones and intelligent machines, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“Autonomous flight on the 5G network is here now – extending the flight path of drones to increase the value of a broad set of inspection capabilities,” said Chad Sweet, CEO, ModalAI. “Better yet, the platform is open to everyone. Together, ModalAI and Qualcomm Technologies are advancing the adoption and commercialization of drone technology.”
ModalAI worked with Qualcomm Technologies to design and develop the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform and reference design and will distribute and support it through its lifecycle with open-source software and applications.
The technology packed onto the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform is purpose-built for autonomous drones, giving developers an easy-to-use platform to create premium drones right out of the box. With high computing and ultra-low power consumption and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G drone reference design supports longer flight time and runs more applications simultaneously.
The Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform and reference design includes an airframe, integrated circuit board with QRB5165 processor, powerful heterogenous computing at low-power with AI, 5G and long-range Wi-Fi 6 connectivity that delivers 15 TOPS and supports 7 camera concurrency.
ModalAI accelerates autonomy by providing innovators with robot and drone perception and communications systems that are manufactured in the U.S.A. The company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks. Offering both start-to-finish custom design services and plug-and-play computing platforms, ModalAI helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably.
Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI spun out of Qualcomm® in 2018 and leverages more than five years of prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. For more information visit www.modalai.com.
Qualcomm and Qualcomm Flight are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Qualcomm Flight, Qualcomm AI Engine and Qualcomm QRB5165 are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
SAN DIEGO, April 25, 2022 – ModalAI, Inc, a Blue UAS Framework manufacturer of autonomous drone and robot technology, announced today the availability of the most capable autopilot in the world, VOXL 2, powered by the Qualcomm® Flight RB5 5G platform. At only 16 grams, VOXL 2 boasts more AI computing than any other autopilot. VOXL 2 integrates a PX4 real-time flight controller with an 8-core CPU up to 15 TOPs, seven image sensors, TDK® IMUs and barometer, 5G connectivity and is assembled in the USA. The new computing platform accelerates the development of commercial drone and robot solutions to realize the benefits of autonomous AI and 5G. VOXL 2 is available immediately for $1,199.99 at www.modalai.com/voxl-2.
VOXL 2 enables autonomy and communications for indoor and outdoor drones and robots with vision-based SLAM and AI for movement, designed specifically for GPS-denied, autonomous UAVs with obstacle avoidance. With a 5G add-on, VOXL 2 enhances mission critical navigation, including beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) to support safer, more reliable flight.
“VOXL 2 creates a major leap in computing capability for the UAS industry”, said Chad Sweet, CEO and co-founder of ModalAI, Inc. “From developing the first Blue UAS Framework autopilot, VOXL, to unlocking 5G skies with the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform, this launch is an important milestone to enable the next generation of smaller, smarter, and safer drones.”
VOXL 2 Advances the U.S. Drone Industry
VOXL 2 is the outcome of the Blue sUAS 2.0 initiative started by the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and is FY20 NDAA Section 848 compliant. VOXL 2 addresses supply chain concerns around unreliable, unsecure components from foreign manufacturers.
“As Qualcomm Technologies diversifies with new opportunities powering the connected intelligent edge, we are
committed to providing on-device intelligence and premium connectivity drone solutions that will unleash
innovation across industries. We are proud to collaborate with ModalAI to scale our industry leading solutions
and congratulate the team on the launch of the VOXL 2, which will continue to support innovation across
robotics and drones.” said Dev Singh, senior director of business development and general manager of
robotics, drones and intelligent machines at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
VOXL 2 is Easy to Integrate
VOXL 2 was created with accessibility in mind. In addition to partnering with the DoD, ModalAI serves developers and researchers all over the world. Over a dozen partners are already integrating VOXL 2 in their newest drone and robot fleets. To enable developers to fly quickly, the VOXL 2 reference drone, Sentinel, is available at www.modalai.com/sentinel
"Auterion OS is at the forefront of driving the drone industry towards a unified standard that will allow for interoperability between enterprise drones and services. We are pleased to collaborate with ModalAI to make Auterion OS available on VOXL 2. Developers looking to build solutions for enterprise drone users with global and open standards using a common infrastructure can run Auterion OS on VOXL 2.” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion.
“As autonomy in drones and robotics becomes standardized, it is necessary to have the highest performing
sensor technology to increase accuracy and stability over time. Inclusion of TDK’s sensors and drivers on the
Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform brings the world’s most accurate and highest performing MEMS IMUs and
Pressure technology alongside Qualcomm Technologies industry leading QRB5165 solutions to drive ModalAI’s
VOXL 2 autopilot to the forefront for innovation and technology advancement.” said Anson Yeganegi, Sr. Manager, Business Development, TDK.
“ModalAI is unlocking the barriers for advanced robotics workflows with the VOXL 2,” said Ramón Roche, Program Manager, Dronecode Foundation, “The PX4 Autopilot runs natively on the QRB5165 at the heart of the VOXL 2, enabling adopters with vast flexibility from a feature-rich open source stack”
About ModalAI, Inc.
Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI was formed by former Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. employees in 2018 and builds on their prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. ModalAI’s VOXL product line helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably. For more information, visit www.modalai.com.
# # #
Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Qualcomm Flight RB5 and QRB5165 are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
The Seeker is the first micro-development drone that accelerates indoor and outdoor autonomy. The Seeker is powered by the new VOXL CAM which houses Blue UAS Framework components, VOXL and Flight Core, and SWaP-optimized sensors and payloads optimized for indoor and outdoor navigation.
VOXL CAM Perception Engine Built-in sensors to navigate from indoors to outdoors ● PMD time of flight (ToF) module for indoor depth mapping ● Stereo image sensor pair for outdoor depth mapping ● Tracking image sensor for visual inertial odometry (VIO) localization Autonomy Open development platform with premier processing power ● Powered by VOXL companion computer ● Integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 premium tier chipset onboard: 4 cores up to 2.4 GHz, 14nm, 4GB LPDDR4 PoP 1866MHz ● VOXL 4-in-1 ESC ● Open-source software: Open CV, ROS, Docker, PX4 ● Optional 4G for cellular carrier-based networks SWaP-Optimized Designed to maneuver small spaces ● 550g take-off weight ● 270mm diagonal SWaP-optimized carbon fiber airframe ● Compact, self-contained VOXL CAM camera mezzanine design ● 15 degree stationary camera viewing angle for improved VIO ● Tilted rotors optimized for smooth yaw navigation
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The VOXL CAM condenses the computing power of 7 PCBs and 4 concurrent image sensors into one compact platform powered by Blue UAS Framework components, VOXL and Flight Core.
Perception Built-in sensors to safely navigate from indoors to outdoors ● PMD time of flight (ToF) module for indoor depth mapping ● Stereo image sensor pair for outdoor depth mapping ● Tracking image sensor for visual inertial odometry (VIO) localization
Autonomy Smart open development platform with premier processing power ● Powered by VOXL companion computer ● Integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 premium tier chipset onboard: 4 cores up to 2.4 GHz, 14nm, 4GB LPDDR4 PoP 1866MHz ● VOXL SDK ● Open-source software: Open CV, ROS, Docker, PX4 ● Optional 4G for cellular carrier-based networks
Modularity Designed to enable smaller, robots, objects, or wearables ● 57.5g total weight ● 100.32mm x 39.57mm x 17.47mm ● Self-contained camera mezzanine with onboard compute ● Easily mountable on drones, robots or wearable IoT devices
VOXL 2 is the next generation Blue UAS Framework autopilot. At only 16g, VOXL 2 is the smallest single-board AI autopilot to date with premium tier processing from the Qualcomm QRB5165, a PX4 flight controller, advanced onboard AI up to 15+ TOPS and 5G connectivity.
VOXL 2 Features
Software Features
Sentinel in our most advanced development drone to date featuring VOXL 2. VOXL 2 is the next generation Blue UAS Framework autopilot. At only 16g, VOXL 2 is the smallest single-board AI autopilot to date with premium tier processing from the Qualcomm QRB5165, a PX4 flight controller, advanced onboard AI and 5G connectivity.
Powered by VOXL 2
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