Unmanned aircraft, or drones, are playing an increasingly pivotal role in both commercial and defense sectors, revolutionising applications across industries such as construction, delivery, surveillance, defense, agriculture, and more. With the drone market projected to grow from USD 26.2 billion in 2022 to USD 38.3 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 7.9% during this period, the significance of these technologies continues to soar.
Navigating small unmanned aircraft in confined and congested urban or maritime environments presents unique challenges compared to conventional high-altitude aircraft. These challenges include weight restrictions, airspace regulations, and complex terrain considerations.
The ADS centre’s mission is to pioneer the development of new, high-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) solutions for advanced drone systems, aimed at enhancing performance and unlocking new applications in various sectors.
The team have successfully developed a 5G-enabled drone equipped with surveyor-grade LiDAR technology for high-precision 3D aerial mapping of land surveys. This technology improves the productivity of surveyors and was first demonstrated at the Tuas Mega Port and at a Housing & Development Board (HDB) construction site
In addition, the team developed a low-latency autonomous microdrone and docking system, enabling remote real-time monitoring of building construction progress.