Ptashka Drones Launches Homing System Enabling Autonomous FPV Drone Operations

1 July, 2024 Drone of the company Ptashka Drones with homing system. June 2024. Ukraine.

Photo from the company page The Ukrainian company Ptashka Drones has introduced a homing system that allows an FPV drone to aim at a target without operator intervention. The company stated that the system also allows tracking and changing targets.

"We have the ability to cancel and adjust the target. We have the ability to target a moving target," the company stated. The developers noted that the system is only suitable for drones from their company.

The system allows the drone to operate without operator intervention before hitting the target.

The main difficulty in implementing a homing system is the high cost of components. At the same time, the company claims that the cost of their homing system is £200. Such systems are usually created through machine vision and by building an algorithm for the drone's operation during a loss of communication.

With such a system with machine vision, the operator will need to select a target, and the drone will be able to fly to it independently even under the influence of electronic interference.

A Ukrainian strike drone strikes a Russian TOR-M2 air defense system. June 2024. Frame from SSU video

If there is no jamming, communication with the ground station is often lost during the dive.

As the drone descends and prepares to strike, radio signals may not reach due to the terrain.

It is known that the Ukrainian long-range drone Liutyi is equipped with a machine vision system that allows the drone to navigate and avoid obstacles.

Detailed model of the Liutyi attack drone

Liutyi is able to adjust its flight direction in real time by comparing the objects it sees with a map stored in the computer.

In the same way, the drone finds and hits the target.