ZenaTech, Inc. subsidiary ZenaDrone has commenced prototype development of the IQ Sphere, a soccer ball-sized autonomous platform intended for defense applications, including inspection, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as remote interaction in GPS-denied and confined environments.
The platform is being designed to provide real-time intelligence and situational awareness to support force protection during high-risk missions such as building clearance, tunnel exploration and ship boarding.
Expected commercial applications include pipeline and underground utility inspection, critical infrastructure security, underground mine inspection and hazardous industrial operations.
Approximately the size of a soccer ball and weighing between five and six kilograms, the IQ Sphere will feature a lightweight protective spherical frame and a modular architecture designed to support autonomous operation in confined and GPS-denied environments.
The platform is intended to provide operators with enhanced situational awareness and remote inspection capabilities while also serving as a foundation for future autonomous and robotic functionality. It is being developed for defense and dual-use commercial applications in complex and hazardous environments.
Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech, commented, “Autonomous systems are transforming how defense forces and critical infrastructure operators’ approach some of their most challenging missions. Whether it’s navigating pipelines, inspecting hazardous infrastructure, or operating in GPS-denied environments, there is growing demand for intelligent systems that can keep people out of harm’s way while delivering real-time data and situational awareness. The IQ Sphere is another important step in our expanding portfolio of autonomous solutions and dual-use technologies development to address evolving defense, public safety and commercial needs.”
The IQ Sphere expands ZenaDrone’s growing IQ family of autonomous systems currently at the development, testing or pilot stage. The portfolio includes the IQ Nano for indoor inventory management and security, the IQ Square for outdoor line-of-site inspections, the purpose-built IQ Quad for land surveying, the IQ Aqua autonomous underwater drone, and the IQ Glider maritime launch and refueling platform for aerial inspection and defense applications.
Together with the ZenaDrone 1000, the company’s counter-UAS interceptor drones and its defense platform, these systems are being developed to provide autonomous intelligence, inspection and mission capabilities across air, land and maritime environments.
ZenaTech specializes in artificial intelligence drone technology, Drone as a Service, enterprise software-as-a-service and quantum computing solutions. The company expects prototype testing of the IQ Sphere to begin over the coming weeks and plans to provide further updates as development milestones are achieved.
