16 Nowadays, almost everyone is familiar with these tiny aircraft: from hobby users taking fascinating aerial images, to professional equipment for companies or airborne operations in the military sector. Drones are highly popular, and continuously developing. As the technological possibilities expand, more and more new applications are found for unmanned aviation, and drones are being used in even more areas. French company Hexadrone specialises in developing drones for use in civil and military applications. Hexadrone was borne from the passion of its founder, Alexandre Labesse, for mechanical systems, photography, and building model aeroplanes. Since it was founded in 2014, the company has grown steadily: after initially offering flight services, it now also trains telepilots, sells its own drones, and above all assembles and designs custom drone solutions. Tundra, a fully modular and intelligent drone, is considered the company's flagship product. The drone can change its flying characteristics by exchanging arms, thereby adapting to its environment. Flying support Drones like the Tundra are used, for example, when searching for avalanche victims. The search for a buried victim is a true challenge for rescue personnel. In addition to the winter conditions, low temperatures and deep snow, rescue personnel reaction time is a key factor when searching for avalanche victims. Using drones for such critical tasks exposes search and rescue personnel to fewer risks, shortens search and intervention times, and helps locate victims more precisely. However, military uses represent another application for these kinds of drones. Here as well, in contrast to planes or helicopters, drones can support ground troops for hours or even days, delivering ongoing information about the surrounding area and transmitting data to deployed soldiers in real time. Especially for such applications, it is important that the drones not only work safely, but also that they are optimised for long flying and working times and high payloads. High-performance batteries like lithium-ion batteries are used to do so; an optimal power supply not only keeps drones in the air longer, but the batteries are also extremely lightweight. However, such powerful batteries also bring risks. High fire risk during charging There is a high risk of fires, in particular when charging lithium batteries. If a defective lithium battery is connected to a charger, it may no longer be able to correctly convert the energy being fed into it. The energy generates warmth, and if this warmth turns into heat, it may cause a fire. Defects in the battery can be caused by a variety of factors. These include mechanical damage to the lithium battery (falls, impacts, crushing) or improper Hexadrone SAS | France DRONES CONQUER THE AIR
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