MikroKopter
| File:Mikrokopter Logo 2014.png | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Miniature UAVs |
| Website | www |
MikroKopter is a German enterprise and a division of HiSystems GmbH, specialising in the production of battery-operated, radio-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles. The company operates out of Moormerland, situated in the Leer District of Lower Saxony.
History
Founded in 2006 by Holger Buss and Ingo Busker, MikroKopter assembled a group of pilots who, within half a year, engineered a platform characterised by exceptional stability, agility, and sufficient power to carry payloads weighing several kilograms. Subsequent enhancements integrated an onboard GPS, piezoelectric gyroscope, acceleration sensor, and a barometric sensor for altitude regulation, enabling autonomous flight capabilities and enhanced manoeuvrability.
Products
MikroKopter manufactures a range of multi-rotor drones including the QuadroKopter (a type of quadcopter), HexaKopter, and OktoKopter models. The architecture is well-suited for computerised control, and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created software to manage swarms of what they call 'Nano Quadrotors'. These systems utilise CCTV cameras to provide positional data to the controlling computer, facilitating complex aerial manoeuvres such as tumbling.
The parent company, HiSystems GmbH, has incorporated the LEA-6S GPS receiver—u-blox’s top-tier GPS module—into MikroKopter drones, delivering precise positioning essential for applications like aerial photography.
Operational use
In February 2012, an animal advocacy organization deployed a MikroKopter to capture footage of hunters targeting pigeons in South Carolina. The hunters responded by shooting down the drone.
