Introduction
At the last international exhibition of consumer electronics – CES2017, you could see a large number of startups that really deserve a ticket to life. No one was left without attention, as evidenced by numerous reviews. One of these startups attracted our attention and, accordingly, it will be discussed further.
About company
Uvify Inc is engaged in the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicles. The company’s head office is located in San Francisco, California. The Uvify team consists of highly qualified specialists in the field of rocket technology and robotics, engineers and designers, eminent racers and even gamers. The key people are CEO and co-founder Hyon Lim and Business Development Advisor Robert Cheek.
About the product
UVify Draco is optimized for drone racing, freestyle and extreme tilt aerial photography, ready to fly out of the box. The developer positions it as a ready-to-use product for people who want to have a powerful quad, but at the same time do not want to spend time working with a soldering iron, and this, in turn, is the fate of all PRO-level drones.
Peculiarities
Execution material
The basis of Draco is light and strong carbon fiber. The modularity of the design allows you to quickly change the elements damaged in the crash directly on the spot. The drone is ready to fly in the most inclement weather thanks to its waterproof housing, now even a downpour is not able to interfere with the desire to fly.
- The drone’s electronics, coupled with powerful brushless motors, are perfect for any aerobatics at speeds up to 160 km/h!
- The developer warns that the drone is not prepared for full immersion in water, you should take this into account!
- Draco is ready to fly even in strong wind conditions.
- The developer assures that everything stated is true. The drone has been tested by the best drone racing and drone freestyling pilots in the most extreme conditions.
Food
The drone is powered by a 1400mAh 100C smart quick-change Lithium Polymer (LiPo) 4-cell battery. No more plugs, battery change is done in one motion. The battery is equipped with a battery charge indicator, automatic balancing, protection against overdischarge and overcharge, a balancer, and a built-in current sensor. It also keeps statistics on the number of charges and discharges.
Thanks to this provision, the battery is able to maintain the optimal voltage when it is not in use, in order to subsequently ensure maximum output performance.
According to the manufacturer’s specification, the maximum flight time is 10 minutes. At maximum modes, this time is reduced to 5-6 minutes.
flight controller
The built-in Draco flight controller provides the best performance in its class. Draco’s modular design provides quick access to any electronic component. With the help of anti-vibration functionality, exponential stability in any flight modes was realized, which will be envied by the most popular drones among professionals. Thanks to temperature control, the operation of inertial navigation has been optimized.
- By separating the sensors from the flight controller with a vibration damper, the developers managed to significantly reduce the negative impact of high-frequency vibrations on the operation of the electronics as a whole.
- Also, the IMU sensor received temperature control and now the weather conditions will not have any effect on the quality of the flight.
Motors
Draco motors are the result of intensive research and development, as well as many years of experience in the field of brushless motors. Overlapping vertical magnetic field provides maximum power with the least weight. As a result, UVify Draco motors significantly outperform all B/C motors available today.
Speed controllers
The first of its kind speed controllers that work with electric motors and a battery according to a given field-oriented control algorithm. At the output, the drone electronics constantly monitors the temperature of each motor and its operation as a whole.
The feedback system between the motor and the battery allows you to maintain the appropriate speed, ensuring maximum performance throughout the flight until the battery completely exhausts its resources.
Thanks to temperature compensation and control over the state of each engine, the electronics automatically compensate for the effect of temperature generated by the motor, thereby increasing the performance of the power plant by 20%.
HD FPV
Draco HD is currently the only drone capable of real-time FPV live streaming in high definition (HD) with zero latency. (for HD Draco model)
The lineup
The manufacturer offers two Draco configurations at once:
UVify Draco Racer
UVify Draco HD
Differences
There are two differences between them. The Draco Racer is smaller than the Draco HD, and the latter is equipped with an FPV HD camera and streams HD video in real time with zero latency. Otherwise, both are completely identical.
Equipment
The manufacturer offers both models in several trim levels:
Draco Racer
- UVify Draco (drone only; user’s choice of receiver: DSMX/FlySky)
- UVify Draco + Controller + Goggles (Drone + Remote + FPV Goggles)
HD
- UVify Draco HD (drone only; user’s choice of receiver: DSMX/FlySky)
- UVify Draco HD + Controller + ProSight Receiver (drone + control equipment + ProSight video amplifier)
- UVify Draco HD + ProSight Receiver (Drone + ProSight Video Amplifier; User Choice Receiver: DSMX/FlySky)
- UVify Draco HD + ProSight Receiver + Turnigy Evolution (Drone + ProSight Video Amplifier + Turnigy Evolution Remote)
Specification
Drone
Brand:
UVify
Model:
Draco
Color:
The black
Fuselage dimensions:
79×158mm
Drone dimensions without rotors:
214×166 mm
Frame size:
230mm
The weight:
470g (including 5-inch rotors and antenna)
Motors
Engine’s type:
UVify Direct-Drive 3-Phase Brushless DC Motor – 2206 (2300 kV)
Magnet:
double-sided N52SH
Magnets:
12 pairs of poles
Shaft:
5mm hollow steel
Stators size:
22×6mm
Max. motor power:
580W
Max. revolutions:
26000 rpm
KV equivalent:
2300
Recommended rotors:
5 × 4.5 inches
Max. pull (with recommended screws):
1200gr
Max. horizontal flight speed:
160km/h
Speed controllers
ESC:
UVify Race ESC with field oriented control algorithm
D.C:
30A
Maximum current:
60A
Intelligent battery
Configuration:
4-jar, high-density LiPo with intelligent control system
Capacity:
1400mAh
Discharge rate:
100C
Charge voltage:
16.8v
Rated power:
60W
Dimensions:
90×37×41mm
The weight:
185gr
Video
Analog FPV:
NTSC/PAL at 5.8GHz
Digital FPV (for Draco HD):
5.8GHz 720p@60fps with zero latency
OSD:
32-bit double buffered Full VGA
Flight controller and sensors
FC:
32-bit Cortex-M4 processor with clock, SPI interface for sensors
IMU:
thermally stabilized with vibration isolation device
Software Compatibility:
Cleanflight/Betaflight/PX4/Ardupilot
On-board computer
Model:
built-in Intel Edison
Radio
Frequency range:
2.4GHz Spread Spectrum
Compatible:
SBUS/DSM/PPM
Price
UVify Draco drones are available for purchase on the official website of the manufacturer at the following prices:
Draco
- UVify Draco (drone only; user’s choice of receiver: DSMX/FlySky) – $499.99
- UVify Draco + Controller + Goggles (drone + remote control + FPV goggles) – $649.99
Draco HD
- UVify Draco HD (drone only; user’s choice of receiver: DSMX/FlySky) – $599.99
- UVify Draco HD + Controller + ProSight Receiver (drone + control equipment + ProSight video signal amplifier) - $ 899.99
- UVify Draco HD + ProSight Receiver (drone + ProSight video signal amplifier; user’s choice of receiver: DSMX / FlySky) – $ 799.99
- UVify Draco HD + ProSight Receiver + Turnigy Evolution (drone + video amplifier ProSight + remote control Turnigy Evolution) – $ 1149.99
Conclusion
UVify Draco from $499.99
pros
- Design
- Modular design
- Materials/Quality
- High quality electronics
- Not afraid of the rain
- Controllability
- Powerful power plant
- Cameras (Draco/Draco HD)
- Video stream quality
- Ready for drone racing and drone freestyling out of the box
Undoubtedly one of the best premium racing drones, which will certainly be appreciated by all fans and professionals of drone racing and freestyle drones. HD link at zero latency is the only thing that all current racing UAVs lack, and if it is implemented in a high-tech, high-speed and waterproof quad in the RTF format, then this is just a gift. Age limit 16+.
A photo
Photo with UVify Draco HD drone.
Photo with UVify Draco drone.
Video
Video with UVify Draco drone (Draco HD).