ASKER: Nine years after the Prox Dynamics was established, the company is now sold.
The Norwegian droneprodusenten is sold to us FLIR Systems for 132 million dollars, or 1,13 billion. The agreement was formally concluded on Wednesday at Prox Dynamics-the head office at Hvalstad in Asker municipality.
There are two technology leaders that are now joining together. For us this is a milestone, as it marks the beginning of a new commitment within the flying sensors, ” says director Andrew C. Teich of FLIR Systems to Teknisk Ukeblad.
co-Founder and chief technology officer Petter Wall is about 400 million richer today, but have no plans to stop.
On the contrary I’m at least as motivated now as in the past. Now, it is the other who takes over the shop, while I shall concentrate only about the technology, ” he says.
Black Trumpet
While Prox Dynamics develops, builds and sells tiny flying sensors for military use, is FLIR Systems, the world’s largest manufacturer of thermal sensors.
Dronen was midtlivsoppgradert in 2014 with improved optics and the motor, so that the dronen has far higher speed, lower støysignatur and better vindresistans than the first generation.
at the same time was a new nattversjon was ready. During the development of this (PD-100T) collaboration Prox Dynamics and FLIR closely. In fact, it was here the sensor Lepton was launched, a langbølge-IR camera that only weighs a half a gram.
Now, says FLIR Systems that it is precisely in order to exploit the Lepton that they obtain Prox Dynamics and their unique and revolutionary nano-dronesystem.
the Name Prox Dynamics disappears. Now is this in place FLIR Systems’ Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)-business area. However, the operations in Norway continue. FLIR emphasizes that they have plans to invest in further development of the PRS platform in order to provide for the further enhancement of range, flexibility and performance and in addition reduce costs.
the Company has approximately 100 employees in Norway today, of whom 43 work in the production on Eggemoen.
Flying binoculars
The tiny dronen PD-100 Black Hornet is designed to help with reconnaissance for soldiers.
Nanodronen is difficult to detect, and flying at a speed of 5 metres per second (18 km/h) and can withstand gusts of 20 knots (10,3 m/s). It can fly up to 1.6 km from the bakkestasjonen and has 25 minutes of endurance.
Each craft weighs only 17,5 grams and measures 120 millimeters from nose to tail. PD-100s form factor is obviously a strength, whether it is a light utility vehicles or a tank, so there is hardly space for new equipment.
Dronen should be able to be in the air during the two minutes after the box is packed up.
Each system consists of a bakkestasjon with screen, styrekontroller and a “hangar” with two helkoptre. Each drone has the capacity to 20-25 minute flight time before it must home for charging. The hangar serves as battery banks and have the capacity of six recharges.
In virtue of his mobility, only 1.3 kg in total, this is the different equipment that is designed to be at the layer level. Therefore is called dronen like “personal reconnaissance system” (PRS) or “soldier’s flying binoculars”.
– a Superb match
With this acquisition, we are ensuring us a unique UAS capabilities. The way Prox Dynamics has taken advantage of our Lepton-sensor for advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance fits in our growth ambitions within overvåkingssegmentet, says FLIR Systems ceo Andy Teich.
He points out, moreover, that the Prox Dynamics-team work with a commercial mindset that is a superb match with their own business philosophy they call CDMQ (“commercially developed, military qualified”).
According to Teich is today’s Prox Dynamics head office for UAS operations. He does not rule out that the FLIR also can buy other droneprodusenter to the new initiative.
According to Prox Dynamics ceo Gudmund Kjærheim, has FLIR been on oppkjøpsjakt since January of this year. It started with that Prox Dynamics bought a thousand ekseplarer of Lepton sensor in two years earlier.
FLIR Systems is the world’s largest manufacturer of thermal cameras and their components. The company was founded in 1978 and took the name after the acronym “Forward looking infrared” that are often used on EO/IR cameras from all sorts of suppliers.
FLIR Systems thus has sensors in all sizes, from the world’s smallest in PD-100T to the bigger devices, for example, Flir Star safire 380-HDc, which can now be fitted in Norway’s upcoming AW101-redningshelikoptre.
Further development
Petter, the Wall is now most excited about what the two companies are able to take up of new products. According to him, the merged companies already started to look at optimization and improvements. It they look at is the operation with so-called “gps denial”.
– It is about being less dependent on the satellite and make use of more kamerabasert navigation. This requires, among other things, more processing power, ” he says.
Prox Dynamics AS achieved a profit before tax of 16,6 million of a turnover of 98,5 million in the year-ago quarter. The largest shareholders were the founder Petter Muren through the company Prox AS (35 per cent) and Geir Førre through the company Firda AS (34 per cent).
the Black Hornet is that known pretty spectacular technology. It has through the years given Porx Dynamics much gratisreklame. No later than now in november, when dronen plays the lead role in a new uniforms the US Army is running on most major tv channels in the united STATES (see below).
the US Army uses Black Hornet to the recruitment
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