Hyundai Motor Company partners with UAV startup20 November 2018

Hyundai Motor Company has announced a strategic partnership with hybrid-electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies startup Top Flight Technologies Inc, as part of its broader effort to cement leadership in future mobility solutions.

Hyundai will team up with the Boston-based startup to explore ways to accelerate the commercial application and deployment of UAVs across various sectors and markets. Potential areas for business development include inspection services and surveillance missions for industrial sites, as well as cargo transport.

Drones powered by the Top Flight ‘Micro Generator Hybrid Power System’ can stay airborne for up to two hours, while carrying a load of four kilograms. The American startup also offers an array of scalable UAV solutions, most notably ‘3D Real-time Simulation Environment & Fleet Management System’, which provides product development tools and the ‘Remote Location Operation Console’ that enables simultaneous operation of multiple UAV units.

Hyundai is also seeking to enhance its existing operations with the application of drone products and technologies ― particularly high-definition (HD) mapping and operations and management (O&M) services.

Says John Suh, VP of Hyundai CRADLE at Hyundai Motor Company: "In addition to solving the challenges of longer-duration flight for quadcopters, Top Flight is developing the technologies needed to enable new solutions in aerial logistics and mapping which could be useful in Hyundai’s future business. Hyundai Motor continues to invest in companies that develop disruptive technologies that are in-line with Hyundai’s current and future strategic thinking.”

Adds Dr. Long Phan, CEO of Top Flight Technologies: “Hyundai Motor Company’s investment in Top Flight confirms its commitment to autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, whether on the road or in the air. We fully believe that Hyundai’s world-class assembly and automation capabilities will help spur the production and deployment of aerospace-grade UAVs, more efficiently than ever."

Adam Offord

Related Companies
Hyundai Motor Company

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.