news

With the rapid development of intelligent technology, drones have gradually moved from the military field to ordinary people's homes, becoming a new driving force for the development of many industries. Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News reporters visited two related companies in Nanjing and Wuxi to explore the secrets of the "high-flying" low-altitude economy.

Pesticide spraying is 100 times more efficient than manual spraying

Farmers over 50 years old can easily operate

Walking into the production workshop of TopGun Robotics, drones are lined up waiting for assembly by staff. Testing, adjustment, test flight, everything is in order. TopGun (Nanjing) Robotics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "TopGun Robotics"), located in Jiangsu Software Park, Jiangning Development Zone, was established at the beginning with the mission of "making drones easier to use". Behind this is TopGun Robotics' deep understanding of drone application scenarios - using "simple" drone technology to better empower thousands of industries.

Drone flying over the field

Since its establishment, TopGun Robotics has focused on the agricultural sector. "Just click on the new Plant Protection Assistant APP on your phone, circle the field that needs to be sprayed with pesticides on the map, and you can take off with one click. The drone will autonomously plan the route and spray the pesticides evenly on the field." Zhang Yu, general manager of TopGun Robotics, said that through continuous product iteration and upgrading, the company's main product currently has a payload of 60 kilograms. "A fruit farmer can only spray pesticides on 10 acres of orchard a day, while the work efficiency of drones can reach 100 times that of manual labor, while also avoiding the harm caused by the inhalation of drugs by the human body."

Using drones to spray pesticides is both efficient and healthy

At present, there are a large number of farmers over 50 years old who are not familiar with electronic equipment among the end users of TopGun Robotics. However, the simple operation does not affect their use of drones at all. "Even elderly people in their 60s and 70s can master the operation skills of our agricultural drones in just 20 minutes." Li Shaobin, R&D director of TopGun Robotics, said that this is what makes every drone "easy to use".

From flight control products to complete aircraft products

Drone technology empowers thousands of industries

"Yunpeng 600" and "STAR-650" used in logistics and transportation scenarios, "XC-05" and "XT-04" used in the industrial field... As the TuoGun UAV family grows step by step, the company has more than 700 intellectual property rights and authorized patents. "In fact, it is the market demand that continues to drive our changes." Zhang Yu told reporters that TuoGun Robot's positioning is to expand the company's UAV products to different fields, combine them with different application scenarios, and provide tool value for related industries.

Starting from the research and development of flight control products and gradually extending to complete machine products, TopGun Robotics is committed to making drones safer, smarter, and more economical to serve all walks of life and make the sky better for human use. "For example, transporting agricultural products in mountainous areas, transporting daily necessities at the confluence of the Yangtze River, and transporting emergency medical supplies such as blood and medicines between cities can achieve accurate and efficient transportation." Zhang Yiqun, vice president of marketing at TopGun Robotics, introduced that in addition to the convenience provided in logistics and transportation, drones have also built a solid safety barrier. "Inspection drones have successfully penetrated into multiple fields such as energy, transportation, environmental protection, and public safety. Regular inspections of power facilities, oil and gas pipelines, public infrastructure, forest fire prevention, etc. can promptly discover safety hazards and ensure regional safety without hidden dangers."

Drones at work

Regarding the future of the low-altitude economy, Zhang Yu believes that drone logistics scenarios have great commercial prospects. "Many logistics companies have built a fast and flexible air transportation network for the three sections of logistics routes: trunk lines, branch lines, and terminal lines, effectively solving the distribution problems in remote areas and special environments." From traditional transportation to drone transportation, people see technological innovation and efficiency innovation, but its advantages and uses are far more than that. "I believe that in the future, when drone cargo transportation becomes a large-scale development, it will not be far from the popularization of drone passenger transportation."

Modular combination to achieve "fool-style" operation

Drones are highly efficient in serving the people

In the exhibition hall of Jiangsu Digital Eagle Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Digital Eagle Technology), a variety of drone products with various uses and multiple iterations are displayed, which makes people dazzled. "Most products on the market are foldable at present, but we take the modular route, and each accessory can be quickly disassembled and replaced." said Guo Qiang, a technical research and development engineer of Digital Eagle Technology. For example, if there are two machines at the same time and one of them is broken, its accessories can be immediately removed and installed on the other robot for continued use. The loading and unloading process is very simple, just like building blocks, and you can add one to the missing part, which is very simple.

Digital Eagle Showroom

At the same time, the operation of drones is also very simple, and even "one-button start". Take the "plant protection" drone as an example. After the user loads the pesticide into the machine, just press the switch, and the drone will handle the subsequent route flight and spraying operations. After the pesticide is sprayed, it will fly back automatically, and there is no need to worry about the intermediate things.

Another example is the "one vehicle, seven drones" high-rise firefighting drone system, which has a specially designed drone "honeycomb" and control platform. When facing a fire, the seven drones work together to perform high-altitude dangerous situation reconnaissance, on-site lighting, and launching fire-extinguishing bombs to extinguish the fire. They work together efficiently, which is very convenient and worry-free for handling wildfires and large-scale accidents with large burned areas and complex on-site disposal. "It's a bit like the point-and-shoot camera we talked about before, one-button operation, no need to worry about the rest, the 'point-and-shoot' operation ensures that users can quickly get started after simple training, and ordinary people can use it."

Core algorithm ensures ultra-fast "iteration"

"Digital Eagle" spreads its wings and flies towards the "Belt and Road"

"Generally speaking, similar ordinary products may be iterated once every three to five years, but we can iterate twice a year!" The reporter learned in the interview that thanks to the accumulation of big data from actual scene applications and its own "core algorithm" (which makes it one of the first Chinese companies to be sanctioned by the United States), the "super-fast" product iteration has given Digital Eagle Technology's brand drones unique product characteristics and special market advantages, thus standing out in the relevant market competition. At present, Digital Eagle Technology has more than 400 patents.

R&D personnel discuss drone design

At the same time, Digital Eagle Technology has also focused on foreign countries, especially the countries and regions along the “Belt and Road”. Its series of products are sold well in Thailand, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Tanzania and other countries, providing strong technical strength for local people's livelihood services and promoting social governance. "For example, we have been iterating and upgrading our plant protection machines for African users, expanding their applications, and assembling them locally to promote local employment!"

Chen Lechun, head of Digital Eagle Technology, said in an interview that as the low-altitude economy gradually becomes an independent market sector, it is expected to achieve faster development under the promotion of national policies. As an emerging track, the development potential of the low-altitude economy under policy support indicates that this field will occupy an important position in the future economic structure. "The core optimization direction of drone technology in the future is to improve endurance, enhance operational convenience and ensure flight safety."

Application of drones in logistics scenarios

Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News reporter Huang Feng Li Shuman Zhang Jianbo Ding Bo

Photography: Zhu Xinzhi

Editing: Zeng Hongliang Zhu Junxian

[Expert Comments] Low-altitude economy: Flying high into the future

The low-altitude economy is a new track for strategic emerging industries and a typical representative of new productivity. The "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reforms and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization" reviewed and approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee specifically mentioned "developing general aviation and low-altitude economy". The low-altitude economy industry has strong integration and rich application scenarios. It has broad development prospects in the fields of tourism, logistics distribution, agricultural plant protection, emergency rescue, environmental monitoring, and three-dimensional transportation.

Jiangsu has obvious advantages in the low-altitude economy. In the TOP30 comprehensive list of the "Urban Low-altitude Economy "Connectivity" Index Report (2024)", six cities including Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Xuzhou and Nantong are on the list. At present, Jiangsu's low-altitude economy has formed a relatively complete industrial system, covering the upstream (aviation materials and core equipment), midstream (equipment manufacturing and supporting products) and downstream (scenario applications and service guarantees) of the industrial chain. At the same time, it also has a number of universities and research institutes that are deeply engaged in aerospace technology, and rich scientific and technological resources.

Jiangsu should firmly grasp the opportunities for the development of the low-altitude economy, continue to actively explore in terms of technological innovation, scenario applications, infrastructure, etc., and contribute the "Jiangsu experience" to the development of the low-altitude economy across the country. First, promote technological innovation through the integration of production and innovation. Promote the collaborative research of universities, research institutes and enterprises around the core technologies and key materials of low-altitude aircraft, and build a collaborative innovation system of "production, learning, research and application". Second, expand application scenarios according to local conditions. Encourage enterprises in logistics, agriculture, tourism and other fields to actively explore the application scenarios and business models of "low-altitude economy +". Third, consolidate infrastructure with a combination of soft and hard. Appropriately advance the layout of information infrastructure such as take-off and landing, communications, navigation, surveillance, meteorology, and maps; accelerate the construction of facilities network, air network, route network and service network, and build a support system for the development of the low-altitude economy.

Gu Limin (Associate Researcher, Institute of Regional Modernization, Jiangsu Academy of Social Sciences)

Proofread by Li Haihui