Qualcomm-backed Indian drone firm ideaForge preps for US debut

Commercial UAV Expo, one of the most highly-anticipated drone trade shows of the year, opens next week in Las Vegas with more than 225 organizations showcasing their solutions to over 2,500 drone professionals from across the world. One of these organizations is India’s ideaForge, which is using the conference as the first step toward building a local presence in the North American market.

According to ideaForge cofounder and CEO Ankit Mehta, the company will display multiple drones under different product categories at Commercial UAV Expo. ideaForge drones, Mehta says, fare better than their counterparts in terms of range and flight time while maintaining safe operational distance above obstacles and terrain.

The SWITCH UAV, for example, is designed specifically for long-range, heavy duty cycle missions with options for up to 9.3 meters range, a flight time of more than 120 minutes, and a maximum launch altitude of 6,000 meters in real-world conditions….