June 13, 2023 – Tyto Robotics, the world leader in electric propulsion testing, is delighted to announce the launch of a new testing capability, Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) Testing. This cutting-edge technology allows users to test up to eight electric motors and propellers simultaneously using Tyto’s flagship thrust stand technology.
“Distributed electric propulsion is omnipresent in the world of UAVs and electric aviation. We are excited to pioneer a tool that empowers developers to perform better, more realistic tests” says Charles Blouin, the company’s President.
The platform was designed as a way to let UAV and eVTOL developers and researchers test their aircraft’s entire propulsion system at once. It’s also meant to be a plug-and-play solution so developers can focus on testing their system rather than developing their own test equipment.
Historically, Tyto’s systems could only test 2 motors and propellers simultaneously, so this update quadruples their capacity.
The platform serves a wide array of applications – from drone design and manufacturing to academic research and development. They predict it may also end up on some clients’ production lines. For now the system can test up to 8 motors and propellers at the same time, “but we’re confident we could scale it up if the market requires it”, says Blouin.
Some of the most important innovations can be found within the software – powertrain mapping, automated testing, a Python API, CAN ESC support, and more. With more powertrains comes more complexity, and many software updates were required to support that.
Tyto Robotics’ new Distributed Electric Propulsion Testing platform is now available for purchase.