Aviant, an autonomous drone service, was founded as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its founders took advantage of the opportunity provided by the convergence of preparation, innovation and technology in the creation of new systems.
A recent development involves a startup based in Trondheim, Norway called Aviant. The company recently raised $2.3 million in a seed funding round. The funding was led by Luminar Ventures, which also participated alongside Bring Ventures, the venture arm of the Norwegian Postal Service. Additionally, several other firms participated, including Bring Ventures and its existing investors. The testing of drone transport by Bring’s client Air Mail Commissioner gives that company a whole new meaning.
Aviant claims that one of their clients outperformed a more well-funded competitor by a dramatic margin when benchmarked against him in Norway and Sweden. Aviant’s client’s drones reportedly fell into the ocean when the temperature dropped below freezing.
An Idea Born At MIT
Aviant was born in 2020 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to NTNU students Bernhard Paus Græsdal and Herman Øie Kolden. Both students attended the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), but did not meet until they arrived on the MIT campus for their Advanced Placement exam in 2019.
The group’s project involved creating a drone to transport biological samples. They started off looking into ways to transport samples during the world pandemic. This led to the idea of a drone that would fly between two hospitals in Norway and Sweden. The project’s initial intended use case grew into something much larger. Instead of transporting blood, milk or water samples, the team chose to transport spare parts for wind turbines. They also transported milk and water samples by using a quadcopter design with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, based MIT tested a preliminary model of their drone in the Johnson Athletic Center’s running track.
Drones For Medical Delivery
Aviant claims that their hybrid variant offers a vertical takeoff, increasing its flight range to 120km. They’ve successfully tested their products in high winds and low temperatures of -26°C. Aviant’s offerings have been successful in delivering mission objectives worldwide.
Røros Hospital client Jan Gunnar Skogås believes that autonomous drones will be a crucial piece of the future transportation infrastructure. Because of their increased speed and lower cost compared to car-based transportation, he believes they will become a common part of the transportation system. Skogås added that they are up to 90% cheaper than cars when it comes to carrying light cargo.
