14 Dec Black Swift Technologies and Leptron UAS Join Forces
Black Swift Technologies and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems Join Forces to Deliver American-Made Advanced Capability Fixed-Wing UAS
GeoSwift Mapper Built on the Same UAS Platform Embraced by NASA, NOAA, and Other Leading Scientific Agencies
Boulder, CO – (December 12, 2017)
GeoSwift Mapper System
With a legacy of delivering reliable, robust, and highly accurate small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Black Swift Technologies (BST), a specialized engineering firm based in Boulder, CO, and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), a subsidiary of Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc. of Denver, CO, announced today a strategic alliance showcasing the individual strengths of each respective company—Leptron UAS for its manufacturing capabilities, and Black Swift Technologies for their advanced avionics and flight management systems.
Under the agreement, Leptron UAS will begin manufacturing the Black Swift S1™ UAS integrated with Black Swift Technologies SwiftCore™ Flight Management System. The resulting aircraft will be marketed by Leptron/Geotech as the GeoSwift Mapper.
“As demand for our aircraft grew it became clear to us that we needed to explore alternatives to the hands-on production approach we have employed since our inception,” said Jack Elston Ph.D., CEO, Black Swift Technologies. “Our core competencies have always been in advanced avionics engineering and scientific sensor integration. This alliance affords us the ability to refocus our attention on the strengths that have set us apart from other UAS providers in the market. It is a great example of collaboration between two progressive Colorado-based companies.”
Black Swift Technologies and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems are both active member of UAS Colorado, a non-profit business league, committed to promoting and improving the aerospace industry in Colorado. This forum proved to be a key enabler to the dialog that facilitated this relationship.
“From my perspective the only way to effectively address the light commercial and industrial market is to partner with other like-minded organizations and have each group focus on their strengths,” says Jeff Popiel, President and CEO, Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Inc. “In this case, Black Swift’s expertise is in advanced avionics and platform integration, while Leptron/Geotech focuses on manufacturing and training. The fact that the aircraft is manufactured entirely in the USA cannot be overlooked either.”
About Black Swift Technologies
Founded in 2011, Black Swift Technologies LLC, develops custom unmanned aircraft system (UAS) solutions leveraging the SwiftCore™ Flight Management System (FMS) consisting of the SwiftPilot™ autopilot system, the SwiftTab™ tablet-based user interface, the SwiftStation™ ground station, and application specific sensor integrations. The SwiftCore™ FMS is designed to be modular, robust, and simple to operate allowing users to focus on data products.
In addition to the SwiftCore™ FMS, Black Swift Technologies has unique capabilities to develop and deploy advanced small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) due the team’s combined expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of advanced “smart” control systems, expertise in legal and safe flight operations in the United States airspace, and their practical experience and knowledge from thousands of hours of UAS flight operations in demanding conditions.
About the SwiftCore™ Flight Management System
SwiftCore Flight Management System is recognized as a highly accurate and reliable advanced flight management control system engineered to meet the demands of nomadic scientific field campaigns in harsh environments. With its intuitive user-focused interface, flight planning is simple and easy to accomplish. Mission monitoring and mapping is all done from a handheld Android™ Tablet loaded with BST’s SwiftTab™ software. Gesture-based controls enable users to confidently deploy their aircraft with minimal training while being able to collect data over geography that is topically diverse with confidence.
“What distinguishes Black Swift’s autopilot from what else is on the market is their interface,” states Daniel Hesselius, Director of Flight Operations, University of Colorado Boulder. “I have not come across an autopilot that can handle fixed wing aircraft as well as Black Swift. Their interface is very easy to use, very intuitive. They continue to improve that interface to make it more like what a manned aircraft would have, which I think is a positive.”
SwiftCore’s “smart” control systems provide industry leading sensor-based control of the UAS that minimizes operator workload while improving the quality of the observed data by autonomously modifying the flight path based on sensor inputs.
About Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Inc.
Made in the USA. Leptron’s lean manufacturing facility is ISO Certified and meets OSHA safety requirements. Leptron technologies are now available for commercial, public and private applications. On-site maintenance and repair ensure your equipment is operating at peak performance and ready for your next assignment. With decades of aerospace experience, Leptron leads the industry in sensing technologies that are cutting-edge and adept at efficient solutions.
Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems innovates, manufactures and distributes patented, unmanned technology which can be piloted remotely using advanced ground station products. Leptron’s unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are certified for airworthiness, manufactured in the USA, and include pilot training.
Formed in 1956, Geotech transitioned from a specialty machine shop to an environmental equipment manufacturer in 1978 when invited by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to partner with them in developing products and technologies for the emerging U.S. Trace Metals Analysis Program.
As a result of this partnership, the bladder pumps, peristaltic pumps, 0.45-micron sampling filters, and filter holders developed by Geotech for the program became the groundwater industry standards.
Geotech rounded out already-extensive product lines by acquiring three outstanding companies: Oil Recovery Systems (ORS) in 1997, Keck Instruments, Inc. in 1999, and the Marschalk Corporation in 2005. Coupled with ongoing product research and development, Geotech today offers the most extensive line of equipment in the environmental field.
In addition to its 125,000 square-foot Denver-based manufacturing plant and corporate headquarters, Geotech now operates service centers in six other states, plus a European Sales Center in Barcelona, Spain and a representative office in Beijing, China.
More information on Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Geotech Environmental Equipment can be found at their respective websites: http://www.leptron.com and http://www.geotechenv.com.