Latest Drone News: Launch of WingtraRAY by Wingtra for Surveyors, Desert Exploration with Mavic 4 Pro, and More Exciting Developments in the Drone Industry!
In the ever-evolving world of drone technology, a new player has entered the scene, promising to revolutionise the way surveyors operate. The WingtraRAY, a professional fixed-wing VTOL drone, is designed specifically for surveyors, delivering survey-grade accuracy with high efficiency and safety.
The WingtraRAY boasts impressive flight performance and efficiency, with a flight time of up to 59 minutes per flight and the ability to cover up to 550 hectares (approximately 1,360 acres) in a single flight. Its adaptive cruise speed ranges between 16 and 22 meters per second, enabling rapid surveys. The drone can map up to 250 acres in just 10 minutes, making it an efficient tool for time-sensitive operations.
Safety and operation are at the forefront of the WingtraRAY's design. The VTOL design allows for vertical takeoff and landing, requiring a small 2 × 2 meters (6.6 × 6.6 feet) footprint for launch and recovery. The drone is equipped with a factory-installed parachute certified for Operations Over People (OOP) - Category 3 in the US (covering 98% of US territory waiver-free) and C6 certification in the EU, increasing urban operational safety. Forward-looking sensors and real-time adaptive geofencing avoid cranes, power lines, and buildings, while dual hot-swappable batteries provide power backup in-flight and dual radio + LTE communication links ensure BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) telemetry, enhancing operational reliability and safety.
The WingtraRAY's payload flexibility is another standout feature. It supports six high-quality, survey-optimized interchangeable payloads, including a 61 MP camera, LiDAR, and multispectral sensors, allowing diverse survey tasks from high-resolution mapping to LIDAR-based terrain modeling and airport crack detection.
The drone seamlessly integrates with WingtraCLOUD, a cloud-based platform that delivers CAD/GIS-ready files, eliminating manual file conversions and app switching. This streamlined end-to-end workflow enables rapid data delivery, with the potential for same-day delivery of processed survey data. The WingtraRAY is designed for one-person field operation, making it accessible to even non-expert users who can still obtain professional-grade results efficiently.
The WingtraRAY's survey accuracy is impressive, achieving absolute accuracy (RMS) with PPK (Post Processed Kinematic) GNSS positioning and recommended ground control setup. Using the INSPECT payload, it can map 100 acres at a 2.5 mm resolution from 60 meters above ground within about one hour.
Meanwhile, DJI, another major player in the drone industry, continues to face significant hurdles in the US, including inventory shortages caused by import issues and ongoing security concerns. However, DJI recently released its 2025 Drone Security White Paper, detailing its layered approach to security, including features like Local Data Mode and AES-256 encryption. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro, with its 100MP Hasselblad camera and 4K/120fps slow-motion capabilities, was used by YouTuber MikeVisuals for off-road drifting footage.
In a separate development, Sky Elements set three Guinness World Records by flying 25 drone shows in 24 hours across the US, and also set a record for most live drone shows performed by different pilots in one hour, with nine shows.
In conclusion, the WingtraRAY combines long endurance, rapid coverage, large payload versatility, certified urban safety features, and a streamlined end-to-end workflow, making it a powerful drone solution for professional surveyors looking to increase productivity and confidence in their aerial data collection.
[1] https://www.wingtra.com/wingtraray/ [2] https://www.wingtra.com/wingtraray/specifications/ [4] https://www.wingtra.com/wingtraray/features/
- With its impressive flight performance, the WingtraRAY drone offers a flight time of up to 59 minutes and the capacity to cover 550 hectares in a single flight, revolutionising the efficiency of survey operations.
- The VTOL design of the WingtraRAY enables vertical takeoff and landing, requiring only a small 2 × 2 meters footprint for launch and recovery, enhancing urban operational safety.
- The WingtraRAY comes equipped with safety features, including a factory-installed parachute certified for Category 3 Operations Over People in the US and C6 certification in the EU, increasing safety in urban environments.
- The drone's adaptive geofencing and forward-looking sensors avoid collisions with cranes, power lines, and buildings, further increasing operational safety.
- The WingtraRAY's payload flexibility supports six high-quality, survey-optimized interchangeable payloads, including a 61 MP camera, LiDAR, and multispectral sensors, allowing diverse survey tasks.
- The cloud-based platform WingtraCLOUD seamlessly integrates with the WingtraRAY, delivering CAD/GIS-ready files and eliminating manual file conversions, enhancing data delivery efficiency.
- The WingtraRAY's survey accuracy achieves high resolution mapping, with the INSPECT payload capable of mapping 100 acres at a 2.5 mm resolution from 60 meters above ground within about one hour.
- Despite facing hurdles in the US, DJI, another major drone player, has released its 2025 Drone Security White Paper, detailing security measures like Local Data Mode and AES-256 encryption.
- The DJI Mavic 4 Pro, with its 100MP Hasselblad camera and 4K/120fps slow-motion capabilities, has been used for off-road drifting footage by YouTuber MikeVisuals.
- Sky Elements set three Guinness World Records, flying 25 drone shows in 24 hours across the US and setting a record for most live drone shows performed by different pilots in one hour.
- In environmental-science, climate-change research, or sports industries such as auto-racing or grand-prix, the WingtraRAY's advanced technology, cybersecurity measures, and versatile gadgets like smartphones and data-and-cloud-computing capabilities could play significant roles in videography, safety monitoring, and efficiency improvements.
