The AscTec Firefly is a redundant research hexacopter built by Ascending Technologies in Germany, aimed at R&D in automation, SLAM and obstacle avoidance. It weighs ~1.6 kg, carries up to ~600 g, flies ~12-22 min, and can continue controlled flight on five rotors.
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Multirotor |
| Subtype | Research hexacopter (R&D UAS) |
| Role | R&D platform |
| Classification | Research/academic micro-UAS |
| Mission | research, SLAM, automation, mapping |
| Datalink | 2.4 GHz XBee, optional WiFi |
| Variants | AscTec Pelican; AscTec Hummingbird |
| Operators | Academic/research institutions |
| Frame type | Hexacopter |
| Length (m) | 0.665 |
| Propulsion | Electric (6x 100W motors) |
| Wingspan (m) | 0.605 |
| Combat-proven | No |
| Export status | Commercial/research |
| Launch method | VTOL |
| Autonomy level | Autonomous (research autopilot) |
| Endurance (min) | 22 |
| Recovery method | VTOL |
| Year introduced | 2012 |
| Max payload (kg) | 0.6 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 54 |
| Standard sensors | GPS, IMU, optional WiFi/LiDAR/RealSense |
| Production status | Discontinued (AscTec acquired by Intel 2016) |
| Airframe / lift type | Multirotor – hex |
| Control / autonomy level | Fully autonomous (human-off-the-loop, AI-navigated), Waypoint / GPS-guided |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – civil | Research, Survey / mapping |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | Electric (LiPo / Li-ion) |
| Range / endurance | Very close range (<5 km, <1 hr) |
| Signature / detectability | RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Weight / class | Class I – Micro (<2 kg) |