Autel Robotics, one of the biggest drone makers in the world, has entered a new player into the game of drone nests.

The Chinese company recently launched the EVO drone nest, a drone-in-a-box solution that was designed to work with manufacturer’s EVO model of drones for automated take-off and landing; charging as well as mission planning.

“The release of the Autel multi-rotor nest will provide better long-range planning for the EVO series and improve the mission execution capability of drones,” the company said in a statement.

“Nest is designed for 24/7 operation and uses a one-piece protective drum with fewer moving parts to simplify maintenance. Nest fits in the bed of a standard pickup truck and is lightweight enough for two people to carry. Paired with the Autel SkyCommand hub for centralised drone management, Nest is easy to set up, maintain and operate.”

Other features that the nest boast of include Rapid Deployment; 4.4 miles Operation Range; 30 mins Fast Charging; All Weather Performance; a Light Weight Design; IP55 Rating; and AES-256 Encryption.

Autel reckons its new product is a perfect remote operating system with weather monitoring capabilities that are always switched on.

The company also clamined the following about its new nest:

Multi-nest system: Multiple Nests can be networked to cover large areas and allow flexible, scalable operation.

Encryption: EVO Nest supports AES 256 image transmission encryption and ISO27001 protocol output video stream.

Autonomous operation: EVO Nest can be easily deployed in patrol areas to realize automatic take-off, precise landing, storage, and automatic charging.

Autonomous, Semi-Autonomous, Or Remote Piloting: Autel’s remote operating system gives the pilot great flexibility and control, whether the mission is pre-planned before the flight, layered on top of an ongoing mission, or whether the pilot wants to remotely control the aircraft in real-time.

Portable and easy to install: Nest weighs 143 pounds, occupies less than 1 square yard, and can be built by a team of two.

All weather performance: Nest’s integrated weather system provides localized weather data for safe remote drone operations. The industrial temperature control unit allows the Nest to operate in temperatures from -30 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius.

Fast charging capability: EVO Nest safely charges an EVO drone from 10 percent to 90 percent in 30 minutes

Information management: EVO Nest uploads flight and mission data to the SkyCommand cloud for easy access, storage and management.

The company added that it can provide customisation and further system development to meet industry specific drone needs for its clients.

The more the merrier, as they say. One wonders how this new kid on the block will fare in the arms race for the best drone-in-box solution that looks already saturated with talent from companies that include DJI, Percepto, Nokia, American Robotics, Azur Drones, Delta Drone; just to mention a few.

Drone nests are used for various industrial applications, ranging from security, surveillance, inspection; and monitoring.

Shenzhen-based Autel Robotics is the drone unit of Autel Intelligent Technology, a manufacturer of automotive electronic components and diagnostic equipment. The drone subsidiary was the brainchild of founder Frank Li and Gary DeLuca, who was heading Autel Intelligence in 2014 when the subsidiary came into being.