We all know that when it comes to mobile phones processors, Qualcomm is top dog. But what about drones?
The Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform is the company’s answer to the ever growing drone market. It’s been reported that Qualcomm is aiming at a second wave of growth.
The complexity of smartphone chips is growing at an exponential rate, and Qualcomm is noting that now they have powerful-enough procs that make them best suited for drones. Amazon and Facebook have both reported testing drones for either product delivery or drone-delivered internet access.
In a recent statement, regarding their Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform, the company notes that they believe they can bring robotics to a whole new level. Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform is aimed at helping manufacturers and developers across the world to build consumer drones. The company notes that they don’t shy away from robots either.
It’s going to be a platform that consists of a highly integrated board. This board will be based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 proc.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform will consist of a Snapdragon 801 SoC paired with a quad-core 2.26GHz proc. It will support dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It has support for real-time flight control system, 4K video processing and GNSS, which is Global Navigation Satellite System.
Another sweet feature is that it has quick charge enabled – it’s the size of a business card.
Now, consumers wishing to acquire a drone are met face to face with a huge question. Do I want to buy a powerful and expensive UAV? Or will I get the same amount of fun out of a cheap drone?
This confusion will most likely disappear with Qualcomm cementing its position in the drone industry.
They even have their first customer. Yuneec, a Chinese drone manufacturer will launch a drone based on Qualcomm’s board in 2016.
Every drone manufacturer meets this challenge – all the parts that make a drone are expensive. From cameras to navigation to wireless tech. They all come from different vendors, and keeping it cheap is a pain in the chipset.
However, expensive drones that will be the epitome of the industry will still remain highly sought after. Take the DJI Phantom 3 drone, it costs $799, it can shoot in 2,7k and it can fly around for twenty five minutes on a single charge.
Yet, Parrot continues to make bank with their toy-like drones. They cost slightly over $200 and they come in all shapes and sizes.
I would very much love the Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform to reduce the prices of UAVs, but how cheaper can you get?
