Foresight All Set to Enter Autonomous Drone Market with POC Project

Wonder Robotics will put Foresight’s thermal stereoscopic detection capabilities to the test to improve the autonomous flight, navigation, and landing capabilities of VTOL drones.

FREMONT, CA: Foresight Autonomous Holdings, a pioneer in automotive vision systems, recently announced that Wonder Robotics, a start-up focused on the design and development of drone autonomy systems, has begun a Proof of Concept (POC) project and evaluation of Foresight’s QuadSight vision system. Wonder Robotics will put Foresight’s thermal stereoscopic detection capabilities to the test to improve the autonomous flight, navigation, and landing capabilities of VTOL drones.

“This POC project with Wonder Robotics opens a new market for Foresight. Our advanced technologies are designed to fit various industries that are using stereo camera systems and can be readily applied to different markets, such as autonomous drones,” said Haim Siboni, CEO, Foresight.

Wonder Robotics will also employ Foresight’s automatic calibration technology to calibrate the stereo cameras even while the drone is moving. After successfully completing the POC project, the parties will consider incorporating Foresight’s technology into Wonder Robotics’ products.

Wonder Robotics’ products use a 3D sensor and proprietary algorithms to give drones 360-degree situational awareness, including during descent and landing, ensuring that the landing site is clear of obstacles such as low-profile obstacles like cables and even dynamic moving obstacles like people or animals. The innovative thermal stereoscopic technology used by Foresight creates a high-resolution depth map that offers precise information about the drone’s surroundings, including the location and distance of any item in the field of vision.

“We have been looking closely at the automotive industry and the accelerated advancements in sensor technology supported by the increased demand for autonomous capabilities,” stated Idan Shimon, Co-Founder and CEO, Wonder Robotics. “The commercial drones revolution is moving just as fast now, and we believe that Foresight’s solution is perfectly suited for the rigorous demands of the drone market thanks to its performance on one hand and its minimal size and weight on the other hand, which are more significant to drones than any other mobility sector.”

Furthermore, Foresight’s unique automatic calibration system has proven to be critical for fitting long-range stereo cameras on drones, guaranteeing that the cameras remain calibrated despite the vibrations of the drone. This eliminates the need for bulky, inflexible mechanical connectors while still meeting the VTOL drone’s low-weight criteria.

According to Research and Markets’ April 2021 report, the market for vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (VTOL UAVs) was valued at 4.4 billion dollars in 2020 and is expected to grow to 15.6 billion dollars by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.6 percent over the analyzed period of 2020-2027. The market for VTOL UAVs in the United States is estimated at 1.3 billion dollars in 2020, while the market for VTOL UAVs in China is expected to reach 2.7 billion dollars by 2027.