Skyfish, a Montana-based American drone manufacturer, has announced the release of the Osprey, a new lightweight drone designed for professional use in infrastructure inspections and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The drone will be introduced at the upcoming AUVSI Xponential 2024 event, where it will be displayed at Booth #4350.

The Osprey is distinguished by its ability to integrate with compact, high-performance third-party sensors, including the Sony LR1 61-megapixel camera for detailed inspection and photogrammetry, as well as the NextVision Raptor for ISR applications. Weighing approximately 14 pounds, the drone boasts an impressive flight time of up to 60 minutes and a communication range of three to five miles.

One of the key features of the Osprey is its portability. The drone is designed to be easily transported in a backpack, making it an ideal choice for on-the-go operations in various environmental conditions. It also includes advanced capabilities such as collision avoidance, automated in-flight geotagging, and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning for centimeter-grade location accuracy.

US-Manufactured, Engineering Grade

Made in the USA and compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Osprey meets stringent certification standards, including the Army’s Developmental Command (DEVCOM) Airworthiness Level 3 and is in the process of obtaining a Green Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) certification.

Skyfish’s CEO, Dr. Orest Pilskalns, says that the combination of portability, capability, and NDAA compliance gives the Osprey a unique place in the market.  “A lot of programs are looking to replace their DJI fleet,” he says.  “The Skyfish Osprey is perfectly sized between the DJI m30 and the m350 with an all-up weight of 10lb without payload, or 14lbs with the Sony LR1 and gimbal.

The Osprey is the perfect combination of powerful capabilities like extended flight time and collision avoidance paired with a small form factor.”

“A Very Unique Bird, with Big Capabilities”: Leveraging the Sony LR1

Pilskalns emphasized the drone’s design objectives, stating, “Osprey was designed to be lightweight, fly up to an hour, record an exact location, and support best-in-class industry sensors for either infrastructure inspection or ISR.”

“The Skyfish Osprey was designed to perfectly complement the Sony ILX-LR1,” he says.  “If you understand photogrammetry, you realize that amazing models are greatly dependent on three elements, first and foremost the quality of your images.

“The Sony LR1 has a fantastic sensor, and matched Sony lens with a focal length that gives you incredible depth and quality,” he says.  “You simply can’t replicate that with the small drones with small focal lengths, at least not yet. Skyfish helped define the requirements of the LR1 as well as the interface, so we are in a better position than most to squeeze out every bit of capability of the LR1.”

“The second important element for photogrammetry is your location data and synchronizing that data with every frame you capture,” he continues. “Skyfish has been at the forefront of using the best RTK technology, and advanced techniques to ensure that every frame you capture with the LR1 has the correct geotag.

“The final element is flight automation. The Osprey contains a high-end processor and advanced machine learning to automatically fly around most infrastructure and capture the photos at the right the position and the right angle. When you land all your data is tagged and ready to process. As a bonus Skyfish has built out an entire rendering and viewing engine, Skyportal, that automates the modeling process. The Osprey is a very unique bird with big capabilities.”

Skyfish continues to lead in the precision drone market, developing drones and 3D modeling solutions that serve a wide range of industries, from infrastructure management to law enforcement. The Osprey is set to enhance the capabilities of professionals in these fields, providing a reliable and precise tool for critical operations.