Israeli drone firm drives opportunity in the UAE

Airobotics announces the latest in a series of UAE contracts

Drone services company Airobotics seems to be on a roll in the UAE!

Hot on the heels of an announcement of a new Optimus UAV proof of concept in Abu Dhabi, the Israeli aerial data collection specialist is publicising an annual service agreement signed with a 'local government entity in Dubai'.

According to the press release from US-based Ondas Holdings - which finalised its acquisition of Airobotics in January this year - the new Dubai services agreement includes support services and the development of new communication features to be implemented for Optimus Urban Drone Infrastructure systems installed across Dubai.

The company's Optimus Urban Drone Infrastructure is a fully automatic UAV system consisting of a self-contained automated drone landing pad (which emerges from under a sliding-roof), robotic battery and payload swapping system and other smart systems. Each drone station houses one 1.8 metre-wide quadcopter UAV which can be dispatched via a remote control room, remain aerial for 40 minutes at a time and cover a perimeter of up to 80km around its base.

The primary purpose of the self-sufficient 'drone-in-a-box' solution is to shorten response times of security and rescue forces to emergency situations, supporting law enforcement, civil defence activities and industrial safety. Airobotics typically charges its customers a monthly fee based on the number of systems, to cover drones, software upgrades, hardware maintenance and services.

Prior to Expo 2020 Dubai, which took place in 2021 and 2022. Airobotics installed a fleet of Optimus drone solutions for the Dubai Police Force. The drones carried out thousands of operational flights without human intervention during the duration of the Expo. In November, Airobotics announced a follow-on order to expand Dubai's fleet. The company also deployed two Optimus Urban Drone Infrastructure systems in Abu Dhabi for another 'government entity', thought to be the Abu Dhabi Police Force.

On Wednesday, Airobotics announced that it had completed a PoC of its Optimus Drone Infrastructure in an industrial facility in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with SkyGo. The PoC is a milestone as part of a $3.5 million multi-system order from SkyGo, to deploy Optimus systems at industrial and municipal sites across Abu Dhabi.

According to media announcements, Airobotics envisages both Dubai and Abu Dhabi scaling up to more than 20 systems across each city over the next few years. Based on the past year's progress, it seems to be well on its way!