General Electric (GE) is entering into the commercial drone market space through a partnership with Microdrones, an aerial mapping technology company with German roots. And in addition to inheriting the existing Microdrones technology portfolio, GE is also announcing the launch of a new long-range LiDAR drone, mdLiDAR1000LR.
The Microdrones facility in Siegen, Germany, will manufacture the GE drone line. The birds, meanwhile, will be available for sale around the world.
To be clear, this is not GE’s first tryst with drones. In 2018, the company launched AiRXOS, a subsidiary specializing in unmanned traffic management. However, AiRXOS was shut down earlier this year after the subsidiary encountered significant financial challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19.
So, this time, GE is not going at it alone. It is partnering with an organization that has been making drones since 2005, and is known for its LiDAR technology products. And to show its commitment to the cause, GE is also…
