August 26, 2013 – Yokneam, Israel -Sky Sapience will mark a significant company milestone on September 2, 2013, when it hands over the newly upgraded Hovermast-100, tethered hovering system for small vehicles, to its first local customer, the Ground Forces Command of the Israel Defense Forces. The patented system will enter operational evaluation soon thereafter.
The HoverMast-100, responds to the need for quick, mobile intelligence gathering. At the click of a button, the system autonomously deploys, rising to heights of up to 50 meters within 15 seconds. Tethered by a cable, serving as a power supply and wideband data link, the highly stabilized HoverMast-100 combines advanced flight algorithms and innovative materials to provide the highest payload-to-size ratio available today. The platform is capable of hosting a payload of up to 6 kg, such as electro-optic sensors, laser designators, radars, and sophisticated COMINT and ELINT systems. Its data link enables the transfer of critical data to selected recipients in real time.
Since the release of the HoverMast in February 2012, the system has undergone rigorous testing. Improvements have been made and live demonstrations conducted. Last month, at Sky Sapience's outdoor experiment facility, senior representatives from the IMOD and the IDF attended a highly successful demonstration of the HoverMast-100's unique capabilities.
Brig. Gen (Res.) Gabriel Shachor, CEO and Founder of Sky Sapience says, “We are proud to welcome in the Jewish New Year with our first delivery to the Israel Defense Forces. We are confident that the evaluating force will find the HoverMast an invaluable tool for its intelligence gathering and surveillance missions; leading to further orders in the near future." Mr. Shachor continues, "With the completion of our in-house production facility due in a few months, Sky Sapience will begin supplying HoverMast products to its international customer base."
The HoverMast is stored in a compact housing unit that can be mounted on a wide range of vehicles, such as small pick-up trucks and unmanned ground or surface vehicles (UGV/USV), making the system especially suited for Special Forces, border and port protection, and infantry missions. As the HoverMast is tethered, it is not bound by standard air control regulations; making it extremely useful for urban activities: urban warfare and law enforcement, as well as industrial, civilian and homeland security operations.
The HoverMast-100 is the first in a family of tethered hovering platforms. Currently in development: HoverMast-120, capable of carrying larger payloads; the seaborne HoverMast-Exo for port and maritime use and the HoverMast-C, intended for civilian applications.
About Sky Sapience
Sky Sapience was founded in 2010 and is located in Yokneam, Israel. Its dedicated team members are experts in the fields of aeronautics, robotics, computer programming, electronics, and business management. It maintains two experiment facilities as well as a fully enclosed telemetry laboratory. With its flagship product, the HoverMast-100, a stabilized tethered platform, it leads the way in mobile, tethered hovering technologies.
