Headquartered in Dongguan, within China’s Guangdong province, Flyfire specializes in the development of cutting-edge drone safety equipment. We had the opportunity to meet with Zhou Liangyu, the CEO, to delve deeper into this groundbreaking technology.
Firefly Technology is a Chinese company specializing in advanced drone safety equipment to prevent accidents. They are involved in the development of equipment airdrops and manned multi-rotor aircraft and have fostered strong collaborations with various partners, including drone manufacturer DJI.
They have embarked on research initiatives in conjunction with the Chinese civil aviation authority to establish standardized protocols for drone operations.
Can you provide an overview of Flyfire’s passive safety protection system for UAVs and drones?
Zhou Liangyu: “Our solution reduces the damage and losses incurred by aircraft in the event of accidents through a series of measures such as parachutes, airbags, and emergency power cut-off. The development of unmanned aerial vehicle safety protection is driven by various factors: First, the development of automation technology allows safety devices to more accurately identify dangerous situations for UAVs. Inside our parachutes, various sensors analyze the current flight status of the UAV. Our in-house developed parachute deployment algorithm is based on thousands of UAV crash experiences. The maturity of these technologies and algorithms makes the parachute system more reliable. UAVs are increasingly being used in various commercial applications, including public safety, logistics, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and more. Parachute technology helps protect expensive payloads and equipment, making UAV operations safer and more reliable. Parachute technology can also alleviate safety concerns associated with low-altitude UAV flight. By using parachutes, UAVs can avoid more severe mid-air accidents.”
What are the key features and components of your protection system, and how does it work concretely to enhance the safety of UAV operations? In which situations does your parachute open up?
Zhou Liangyu: “Our system consists of a parachute capsule, redundant hardware design, and dependable precision algorithm software. In the event of a severe drone crash, our parachute deploys, ensuring the safety of ground personnel and property. The parachute is equipped with sensors that can accurately detect various anomalies, including freefall, overspeed, rolling, spinning, collisions, and rotor blade vibrations. These sensors help assess the drone’s current condition and attitude, allowing us to choose the optimal moment to stop the rotor and deploy the parachute, ensuring the safety of personnel and property on the ground.”
Could you share some real-world examples where your parachute has proven to be particularly effective in preventing accidents or minimizing damage?
Zhou Liangyu: “This is the accident scene of the Shanghai M300 inspection which took place in the densely populated and traffic-congested streets of Shanghai. The accident occurred due to an abrupt power failure in the drone, catching everyone by surprise. Our parachute was successfully deployed, and the drone safely landed on the roof of a single-story building.”
How does your system adapt to different types of drones and UAVs, considering the wide variety of models and sizes available?
Zhou Liangyu: “Currently, Firefly’s in-house developed parachute control system is compatible with the mainstream flight controllers available in the market. We offer a variety of parachute capsules suitable for drones ranging from 500 grams to 500 kilograms. By connecting various manufacturers’ flight controllers with our standard mounting bases, we can ensure compatibility with virtually any drone. Commercial drone users can control parachute deployment automatically through the flight controller or the parachute system itself. For consumer-grade drones, we offer the Manti parachute system with full automation. This provides both industry professionals and consumer users with excellent options to suit their specific needs.We have a close collaboration with industry leaders like DJI, and similar partnerships exist with companies such as MMCr, YUNEEC, and others.”
