New standards for emission-free and sustainable autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles
With the aim of promoting climate-neutral, emission-free and sustainable aviation, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and its partners have developed the unmanned aerial vehicle ELENA (named after the research project of the same name). ELENA, the cutting-edge unmanned aircraft approved under the EASA ‘Specific’ category, is partly made of sustainable biocomposites and utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell a zero-emission power source.
Fields of application for the ELENA fixed-wing aircraft
With a wingspan of 6 metres, a take-off weight of 40 kg and the latest sensor and data processing technology, ELENA offers comprehensive autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle technology. The aircraft is suitable for long-range and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions. It primarily addresses the urgent needs of Austrian research and industry. It is suitable for applications in demanding scenarios in agriculture, viticulture and fruit growing, as well as in crisis and disaster management.
ELENA - Project Partner
Research Group Assistive & Autonomous Systems / AIT Center for Vision Automation & Control
PIDSO – Propagation Ideas & Solutions GmbH
FH Joanneum GmbH
CEA Design GmbH
Austro Control GmbH
AIRlabs Austria GmbH
ELENA has received funding from the Austrian research funding programme Take Off. Take Off is a Research, Technology and Innovation Funding Programme of the Republic of Austria, Ministry for Climate Action. The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) has been authorised for the programme management.
About the Austrian Drone Forum
Under the motto ‘Innovation meets Regulation’, the Austrian Drone Forum 2025 provides a platform for the latest information from authorities, industry and research. The organisers are the
Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), Austro Control GmbH (ACG) and the Austrian Association for Drones (AAD)
23 January 2025, 1030 Vienna
www.bmk.gv.at/service/veranstaltungen/drohnenforum-oesterreich.html
