Most of the high-end Android phones out their have have been built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 series SoCs (system on a chip). Now Qualcomm came with a new idea to develop next generation of drones.So Qualcomm Technologies, Inc announced Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform, specifically designed for consumer drones and robotics, at the Qualcomm: Accelerating Robotics event.Hugo Swart, senior director of product management, made the announcement, followed by a live demo of the Snapdragon Flight reference drone—one of the world’s smallest 4K flying cameras that showcases the power of Snapdragon Flight.
We are using Qualcomm Snapdragon processor in our Android phones and we know what it capable for.It’s a tiny piece of silicon with a multi-core processor, a graphics-processing engine for everything from games to 4K video to photos, components that help you squeeze more out of your battery, GPS and wireless radio, display drivers for high-res screens, and all the brains and guts of what a modern phone can do.And now same Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that makes all of that possible is now “smart” enough to be the brains of a robot.
“Today, drones are made from multiple component vendors providing separate solutions for photography, navigation and communications, adding to the cost and bulk of consumer drones.The Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight brings together the technologies that have defined the mobile industry onto a single board, enabling OEMs to build drones that are lighter, smaller, easy to use and affordable with long battery life and superior functionalities.” – Raj Talluri, senior vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc
The Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform has been specifically designed for the rapidly growing consumer drone segment.The Snapdragon Flight features advanced processing power, real-time flight control on the Qualcomm Hexagon DSP, built-in Qualcomm 2×2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a leading global navigation satellite system (GNSS) optimized to support highly accurate location positioning. The Snapdragon Flight is designed to enable the advanced features that drone consumers want most, including:
- 4K Video – 4K high resolution camera support, image enhancement and video processing capabilities and simultaneous 720p encoding for first person view
- Advanced Communication and Navigation – Dual-band 2×2 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 5 Hz GNSS location capabilities with advanced real-time flight control on Hexagon DSP
- Robust Camera and Sensor Support – 4K stereo VGA, optic flow cameras, inertial measurement unit (IMU), barometer sensor support and ports for additional sensors
- Qualcomm Quick Charge Technology – Supporting fast battery charging in between video/picture sessions
Since Qualcomm Technologies also announced that Yuneec, a leading developer of consumer and professional drones with a long history of innovation in electric aviation, will be one of the first companies to embrace the Snapdragon Flight. Yuneec plans to release a drone based on the platform in 2016.
