pilotless VTOL drone saves wounded soldier in mission demo milestone

across the world countries are focusing their attentions on developments in drone technology, mainly for their use on the frontline. as well as delivering important cargo, pilot-less VTOL drones prove a quicker and safer alternative to defences’ reliance on helicopters. in a demonstration released israel-based tactical robotics’ a battlefield evacuation is successfully completed by employing the company’s unmanned cormorant, a compact, single-engine aircraft.

images courtesy of tactical robotics

in the demonstration the cormorant is seen picking up a medical training mannequin, placed into the drone by five men in white overalls. watching were representatives from the israel defence forces, tactical robotics‘ lead customer, the sort of people the company hopes to sell the aircraft’s impressive capabilities to.

using internal lift rotors the drone has the ability to land and take off where a large enough horizontal surface is found. it has a mission range of 20 miles and can fly at more than 100mph. power comes from a single turboshaft engine and two small and encased rotors permit take-off. rather than one large one this also means a reduced physical footprint of the cormorant, making it more adaptable to complex surroundings such as a wood or urban landscape. a carbon-fiber body keeps it from being radar-detected and an exhaust system prevents an infrared signature by cooling fumes.

according to the company, and due to a specially designed vane control system, the cormorant can operate in higher winds than a human helicopter pilot could handle and is able to lift more than 1,000 pounds of cargo, or two injured people. in place of human contact patients would be connected to base through a remote monitoring system. a video-link would allow constant communication with on-the-ground staff who would be able to monitor the patient’s vitals from below.