Infinitech launches the production of firefighting drones.
The launch of the first firefighting drone production in Russia was announced during the “Digitalization-2024” forum held on December 15. The design bureau will be located in St. Petersburg, based on the private technopark “Infinitech,” while the assembly of UAVs will take place in the outskirts.
“Typically, when people hear ‘drones,’ they picture quadcopters, but this form factor doesn’t limit the horizons of this technology,” said Nikita Dontsov, GR Director of the “Infinitech Corporation,” addressing journalists. “That’s why we plan to establish a scientific and production complex based on our technopark, which will develop unmanned systems for all four environments because unmanned vehicles can be not only airborne or underwater but also ground-based and even subterranean. There’s application for all. For instance, instead of risking the lives of people working in mines, remotely controlled tunneling combines and other equipment can be utilized.”
Initially, the company will focus on unmanned transportation systems—airborne, ground-based, and maritime. Nikita Dontsov explained that the Technopark already possesses a significant competitive advantage in these areas.
“We have the necessary number of IT specialists, many friendly and partnering companies with their developments in this sphere, scientific partners ready to share their research and involve their staff in this work; we actively collaborate with specialized educational institutions, and we attract top specialists in radio electronics,” he noted. “There are also industrial partners—factories ready to assist in production. Therefore, in the nearest future, the most advanced platform for these purposes will be established here.”
The first production line of “Infinitech Corporation,” set to open in January 2024, will focus on firefighting drones. According to Nikita Dontsov, there are currently no firefighting drones in Russia, yet such a development would significantly enhance the convenience and effectiveness of extinguishing fires.
“Imagine, for instance, a fire in a high-rise building like Moscow-City or in multi-story buildings in St. Petersburg—there’s hardly any possibility to extinguish the fire on upper floors,” he explained. “A drone for such cases is an excellent solution. It can deliver a fire extinguisher to the required spot, which will immediately open and extinguish the fire with foam or powder. It’s a very cool technology.”
The series of firefighting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will include five models. The first, named Kaplya (Drop), is intended for fire reconnaissance and has a takeoff weight of 7.2 kg, while the others will be used for firefighting purposes — Liven (36 kg), Perun (75 kg), Groza (75 kg), and Burya (105 kg). The company has not disclosed whether an existing prototype will be used or if it will be developed “from scratch.”
There are also plans to produce drones for emergency situations in security and fire reconnaissance equipped with dual optical thermal imagers with 30x magnification, capable of reaching a target within a 25 km radius at a flight speed of 54 km/h.
For the launch of the scientific and production complex (SPC), the technopark plans to utilize its own premises in the business district on Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street. The investment volume in the project remains undisclosed, but it is expected that up to 10 resident companies of the technopark could be part of the SPC. Maria Mikhailova, the CEO of Infinitech, indicated that the main production will be located in the Leningrad region:
“In the technopark, a design bureau will be located—everything related to science, research, design, programming, and the creation of experimental models,” she explained. “Organizing other stages of the production process here, you understand, the ceilings just don’t allow it. Moreover, it’s a no-fly zone around. Nearby is the building of the government of St. Petersburg — no flying around there.”
The total volume of production (based on the SPC and production areas beyond the technopark) is estimated at 1,000-3,000 drones per year.