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Michigan State University Drone Loan Program

The Program

The Drone Loan Program, administered by RS&GIS, provides access to NDAA-compliant drones and sensors for MSU research, outreach and business activities.

  • Federal regulations restrict the use of foreign-made drones for Federally-funded projects. Regulations are becoming more stringent, with restrictions expected to increase in the coming years.

  • Compliant drones and sensors are 2x - 5x more expensive than what has been used in the past, making it difficult for individual units to purchase the necessary equipment for their specific needs.

  • RS&GIS, with the assistance of the MSU Office or Research & Innovation, has invested in a fleet of adaptable and compliant drones and sensors to meet a broad array of needs.

Program Platforms

RS&GIS has given considerable thought to what is needed at an R1 University such as MSU. Program drones are available that provide long endurance, heavy payloads, broad sensor integration, and more that address the majority of uses within research, education and outreach. Current platforms in the program include:

Inspired Flight IF800 Tomcat

The RS&GIS fleet includes 3 IF800 Tomcat Drones. These are enterprise level drones capable of carrying up to a 6.6 pound payload. Current integrations include Sony ILX-LR1, Micasense RedEdge-P Dual and Triple, and Gremsy VIO F1. Approximate flight time with maximum payload is 30-35 minutes.

Inspired Flight IF1200a

The IF1200a from Inspired Flight is a heavy-lift drone capable of carrying over 19 pounds. This makes is suitable for a wide range of applications including LiDAR, GPR and hyperspectral. Current integrations include Sony ILX-LR1, Micasense RedEdge-P Dual and Triple, and Gremsy VIO F1. However, the open-concept frame and standard mounting rails allow for nearly unlimited integrations. Flight time varies from 25 minutes with a full payload to over 40 minutes with small payloads.

WingtraOne Gen II

The WingtraOne Gen II is a unique drone in that it is a fixed-wing platform that takes off and lands vertically (VTOL). Since it is a fixed-wing craft, it flies very efficiently and can cover over 500 acres in a single flight (~ 60 minutes). This makes it suitable for large area acquisitions that would otherwise take multiple flights using a multi-rotor drone. The WingtraOne Gen II is currently equipped with a Map61 camera, which utilizes the same Sony ILX-LR1 60 megapixel sensor. It can also be equipped with a variety of other sensors, including multispectral sensors, such as the Micasense RedEdge-MX.