Intel has picked up the interest in drones, an ‘important computing platform of the future’, and announced its acquisition of a German autopilot software and algorithm specialist Ascending Technologies, subject to customary closing conditions.
Intel obviously wants to tap into the drone market segment which represents, according to a company, the opportunity to integrate the computing, communications, sensor and cloud technology that help ‘make drones smarter’. Also, the company sees that the unmanned aerial vehicles (UVAs) as on the rise due to their growing number of practical applications across many verticals.
Ascending, which specialises in unmanned aircraft systems and multi-rotor technology for professional, civil and research and UAS applications, and Intel already worked together in the past to combine its sense-and-avoid algorithms with Intel’ technology real-time depth-sensing capability aimed at the improvement of the drone safety, it says.
Under the terms of a deal, Ascending will continue to serve their existing customers and will, additionally, work close with Intel’s Perceptual Computing team to develop UAV and help accelerate the introduction of Intel’s RealSense technology into the market it already operates on.