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Platforms & flight systems

Raptor Pilot AI

The mission computer for drones and robots. It sees at 60 FPS and decides on board, so nothing has to leave the aircraft.

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Raptor Pilot AI

Overview

Raptor Pilot AI is the mission computer we build for drones and robots. Two digital cameras feed it straight in, so a wide view and a tracking view can run at the same time: one for the whole scene, one locked on the target.

A 4 TOPS AI chip runs detection and tracking next to a quad-core ARM64 processor with 16 GB of memory. There is no downlink, no cloud and no lag between seeing and acting. The aircraft decides for itself, and the video never has to leave it.

It runs Linux and common robotics software, so autonomy code you already have moves across without a rewrite. Gigabit Ethernet, UART and optional CAN connect it to flight controllers, gimbals and payloads, and it takes power straight from the main battery at up to 60 V. The whole unit is 72 × 44 × 25 mm and weighs 100 g, so it fits a small interceptor as easily as a large aircraft.

Key characteristics

  • Two camera streams at once: a wide view and a tracking view, 60 FPS under load
  • Dedicated 4 TOPS (INT8) edge AI accelerator at around 2 W typical, for onboard detection and tracking
  • All AI runs on board: no downlink and no cloud, so the video stays on the aircraft
  • A good IMU timed with the camera for accurate visual navigation where GNSS is weak
  • Runs straight off the main battery at up to 60 V DC, with Gigabit Ethernet, UART and optional CAN/HDMI
  • Runs Linux and common robotics software, so existing autonomy code moves across
  • 100 g in a 72 × 44 × 25 mm case: small enough for an interceptor, not just a large aircraft

Specifications

Processor
Quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz, VideoCore VII GPU, hardware H.265 decode
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4X
AI accelerator
Dedicated edge AI accelerator, 4 TOPS (INT8), ~2 W typical
Camera inputs
2× MIPI CSI-2, simultaneous wide + tracking streams, 60 FPS sustained under load
IMU
High-grade IMU, synchronised with the vision pipeline
Interfaces
Gigabit Ethernet, UART (CAN, HDMI optional)
Power input
Max 60 V DC, direct from the main battery
Dimensions
72 × 44 × 25 mm
Weight
100 g
Operating system
Linux, runs standard robotics software stacks

Specifications may change. We confirm the exact figures against the current datasheet when you ask.

Where it is used

Typical jobs this system is built for.

  • Counter-UAS interception

    Guides an interceptor onto a moving drone in the last seconds of the run, when a radio link back to the operator is too slow to help.

  • Flight without satellite navigation

    Holds position and corrects drift by sight when GNSS is jammed or blocked, using the camera and the IMU together.

  • Motion tracking

    Keeps a moving subject in frame on the tracking camera while the wide camera watches the whole scene.

  • Precision landing

    Guides the final approach onto a marked pad or a moving deck at sea, where a few centimetres matter.

  • Perimeter surveillance

    Watches a fixed area and flags movement on board, so no video has to leave the aircraft.

  • Search and rescue

    Spots a person or a vehicle as it flies, so a find does not wait for a downlink or an operator to notice it.

  • Infrastructure inspection

    Follows power lines and pipelines with the wide view for context and the tracking view locked on the fault.

  • Ground robots

    Runs the same vision and autonomy on unmanned ground vehicles, not only on aircraft.

  • Route and convoy overwatch

    Follows a road or a vehicle from the air and reports what has changed since the last pass.

Related products

More from the Raptor series.

Enquire about Raptor Pilot AI

Tell us what you need and we will show you how Raptor Pilot AI fits, how it works with what you already run, and what a first step would look like.

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