Hydra Technologies of Mexico
Encyclopedia
Hydra Technologies is a Mexican
firm dedicated to the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicle
s for surveillance operations and aircraft avionics
. The company has one hundred employees and as of mid-2008 has two operational models, the S4 Ehécatl and the E1 Gavilán
.
and the War on Drugs
. The State of Jalisco
uses them for detection of polluting sources in Río Grande de Santiago
and for surveillance over Guadalajara
in search for flooding-sensitive zones. They are also used by other countries.
Development of the Hydra Technologies Ehécatl began in 2002 as a joint effort between the Government of Mexico, the Financial Sector, and Mexican academic and scientific institutions. Its main function is to provide security and surveillance capabilities in support of the Armed Forces, as well as civilian protection in hazardous situations. According to the manufacturer, the drone "observes what happens by land or sea. Because of its unmanned nature, it can enter dangerous zones being undetected" and is "an effective solution of the border problems between the U.S.
and Mexico."
The S4 Ehécatl has a complex electronic system designed to provide up to eight hours of autonomous flight in either daytime or nighttime conditions. It is controlled from a mobile central facility installed in a specially-equipped three-man ground vehicle. Apart from an American-made FLIR
thermal video
system, all of the craft's components are designed, developed and manufactured in-house.
The Hydra Technologies Gavilán
is a miniature UAV with ninety minutes of flight autonomy, controlled by a single user through a portable GCS
. As the S4 Ehécatl, the E1 Gavilán is the result of a joint effort of the institutions mentioned above and is also equipped with a FLIR thermal video system for nighttime operation. It was presented on June 10 in San Diego, California
, in AUVSI
's Unmanned Systems North America 2008, an important event for this particular industry. The europe
an debut took place on July 14 of the same year at the Farnborough Airshow.
system, there is not much information on the G1 Guerrero yet.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
firm dedicated to the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s for surveillance operations and aircraft avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
. The company has one hundred employees and as of mid-2008 has two operational models, the S4 Ehécatl and the E1 Gavilán
Hydra Technologies Gavilán
The E1 Gavilán is an unmanned electrical-surveillance airplane of design and manufacturing by the Mexican firm Hydra Technologies of Mexico. The aircraft is a remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle....
.
Operations
The S4 Ehécatl and E1 Gavilán are used in Mexico for ecological supervision, civilian protection, surveillanceSurveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
and the War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
. The State of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
uses them for detection of polluting sources in Río Grande de Santiago
Río Grande de Santiago
The Río Grande de Santiago is one of the longest rivers in Mexico, measuring up long. The river begins at Lake Chapala and continues roughly north-west through the Sierra Madre Occidental, receiving the Verde, Juchipila, Bolaños, and other tributaries...
and for surveillance over Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
in search for flooding-sensitive zones. They are also used by other countries.
S4 Ehécatl
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico."
The S4 Ehécatl has a complex electronic system designed to provide up to eight hours of autonomous flight in either daytime or nighttime conditions. It is controlled from a mobile central facility installed in a specially-equipped three-man ground vehicle. Apart from an American-made FLIR
Forward looking infrared
Forward looking infrared cameras, typically used on military aircraft, use an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation.The sensors installed in forward looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal imaging cameras, use detection of infrared radiation, typically emitted from a...
thermal video
Thermography
Infrared thermography, thermal imaging, and thermal video are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermal imaging cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms...
system, all of the craft's components are designed, developed and manufactured in-house.
E1 Gavilán
Hydra Technologies Gavilán
The E1 Gavilán is an unmanned electrical-surveillance airplane of design and manufacturing by the Mexican firm Hydra Technologies of Mexico. The aircraft is a remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle....
is a miniature UAV with ninety minutes of flight autonomy, controlled by a single user through a portable GCS
Geographic coordinate system
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
. As the S4 Ehécatl, the E1 Gavilán is the result of a joint effort of the institutions mentioned above and is also equipped with a FLIR thermal video system for nighttime operation. It was presented on June 10 in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in AUVSI
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, also known as AUVSI, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the technology of unmanned vehicles.- History :...
's Unmanned Systems North America 2008, an important event for this particular industry. The europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an debut took place on July 14 of the same year at the Farnborough Airshow.
In Development
As of 2008, the company has other models in process of design, the S5 Cuculcán and the G1 Guerrero. The S5 Cuculcán will be able to fly up to sixteen hours and provide a portable data recoveryData recovery
Data recovery is the process of salvaging data from damaged, failed, corrupted, or inaccessible secondary storage media when it cannot be accessed normally. Often the data are being salvaged from storage media such as internal or external hard disk drives, solid-state drives , USB flash drive,...
system, there is not much information on the G1 Guerrero yet.
Awards
- Al Aube Outstanding Contributor Award for the development of the S4 Ehécatl by AUSVIAssociation for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, also known as AUVSI, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the technology of unmanned vehicles.- History :...
(2007) - Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
Award for the development of the S4 Ehécatl and the D1 Gavilán by the International Aeronautics Congress of Mexico (2008) - Special award by the Jalisco State Council of Science and Technology for its contribution to the Information, Microelectronics and Communication Industries in Mexico (2008)