Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Robinson-owned Drone Maker Debuts ‘Helius’ Nano UAV
Helius is Ascent Aerosystems’ first sub-250g coaxial UAV
Helius UAV
The pocked-sized Helius is an American-made, NDAA-compliant UAV suitable for law enforcement, emergency response, and surveillance applications. © Ascent Aerosystems

Ascent Aerosystems, a drone maker and wholly owned subsidiary of Robinson Helicopter, unveiled its latest UAV on March 11 at the Verticon show in Dallas. Called Helius, it is the company’s first product in the sub-250-gram category.

The $4,500 drone uses artificial intelligence to avoid obstacles and track objects, which it detects using an electro-optical, ultra-low-light sensor that can tilt, pan, and zoom. It can fly for 30 minutes at a max speed of 45 mph.