Job type: Full-time, on-site
Job level: Intermediate
Start date: As soon as possible
About Us
Tyto Robotics is a Canadian aerospace company specializing in the development of professional testing tools for drone characterization. Founded in 2014, we manufacture several varieties of test stands that fully characterize brushless motors and propellers for drones and eVTOL aircraft.
Thousands of companies across the globe have benefited from our products, including NASA, Airbus, Volansi and numerous prestigious research institutions.
Our vision is to become the world leader in drone test equipment, and we have an aggressive plan to get us there in just a few years. We are energetic, we are motivated, and we are innovators. Come be a part of our team and help bring our vision to life!
Why You Should Join Our Team
About the Job
The marketing engineer oversees the company’s marketing efforts:
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The Flight Stand 500 boasts a maximum thrust rating of 500 kgf / 5,000 N and a torque capacity of up to 1,500 Nm. It can handle voltages up to 1,000 V and offers optional current ranges of 100, 200, or 500 A. One of its standout features is the impressive 1,000 Hz sampling rate, enabling real-time dynamic testing and precise performance analysis.
The Flight Stand 500 package includes a force measurement unit (FMU), an electric measurement unit (EMU), a robust tubular structure, a sync hub to synchronize measurements, an optical RPM probe, and several temperature probes.
The Flight Stand 500 also comes with a comprehensive software experience. Users can seamlessly connect and control third-party sensors, ranging from acoustic and vibration sensors to wind tunnels. The software also supports CAN ESCs. For those who prefer a hands-on approach, the Python Control API allows users to program tests externally. Additionally, tests can be automated by uploading throttle values from a .CSV file.
The Flight Stand 500 is more than a thrust stand; it's a comprehensive solution for professionals aiming to elevate their propulsion systems in the drone and eVTOL industries. With its unmatched precision, adaptability, and user-centric design, it's set to be a game-changer in the industry.
Pre-sales for the Flight Stand 500 are now open. For more information or to place an order, visit https://www.tytorobotics.com/pages/flight-stand-500.
]]>Here’s what we’ve added:
The first new feature is the external input/output API. This feature allows users to connect and control third party sensors with the Flight Stand software. Examples include acoustic and vibration sensors, additional motors and flight controllers, Windshapers, and more.
When a third party input/output is connected, it will be visible in the software and will behave in one of two ways:
One of the most powerful ways to use this tool is by connecting it to your Windshaper. This will allow you to control the wind speed of the Windshaper in the same platform where you control your propulsion tests.
Alternatively, you have the option to record data with a sensor from an external provider. For example, if you want to capture the acoustic noise generated by your propeller, you can utilize a Python-controllable sensor. By connecting this sensor to the API, you can record its data in conjunction with the readings from the other sensors on the stand.
An additional benefit of the I/O API is that you can now connect CAN ESCs and control them within the software. This increases the number of use cases available for the Flight Stand, especially for larger motors and propellers, as we previously supported only traditional protocols.
There is a wide variety of CAN protocols available, which is why we’ve decided to make controlling CAN ESCs possible as an external input, rather than having a dedicated DAQ to support a limited number of CAN protocols.
Users can now fully control their tests using the Python API, and we’ve created several examples to help you get started.
This feature is useful for users who prefer to program tests in an external text editor. While the Flight Stand software’s built-in automated testing feature is quite powerful, the Python control API may save time for some users.
The documentation for loading the Python API can be found here on Gitlab.
Here’s the first tutorial that shows you how to get the Python API setup:
In order to enhance user safety, we have developed the ability to control the Flight Stand remotely from any computer on the same network.
This feature has two main advantages:
This does have some safety implications since anybody in the network can activate your throttle. Make sure to only use this feature on a private network, and ensure there is good communication with your team so you have full control of the environment.
Here’s our article and video demonstrating how to do the setup:
We have developed documentation and templates to guide you through programming several advanced automated tests.
In the video below, we explain how to perform these three tests:
1. Sine Wave
2. Chirp Test
3. Sawtooth Test
This Google Sheet provides a template you can use to create your own version of these tests.
For more information on all of these features, contact our sales team.
]]>"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. For more information, visit www.tytorobotics.com/dep.
]]>The full title of the project, “Research and development of an electrical propulsion system, including a reliable propeller, a thrust stand, and an AI model to analyze performance data, for heavy-duty cargo UAVs or eVTOL”, outlines the scope of the work to be done. Tyto Robotics will design a thrust stand capable of testing motors for large cargo drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, up to 500 kgf of thrust and 320 kW of power.
Together, Tyto Robotics and Mejzlik Propellers will perform tests on powertrain components used on eVTOL to study how factors like motor Kv, voltage, and propeller finish affect overall performance and reliability.Image: Engineers from Tyto Robotics and Mejzlik Propellers at Mejzlik’s facility in Czechia (from left to right: Erwan Labadie, Baiyun Tang, Jan Dziubek, Jan Hubáček, Tomáš Hájek)
Concurrently, the team at l’Université of Sherbrooke will design an AI model capable of predicting a propulsion system’s performance based on machine learning from data generated by the physical tests.
The goal of the project is to develop test equipment that can be used by manufacturers in the heavy-lift cargo drone and eVTOL industries. One of the major barriers to the widespread adoption of eVTOL as a mode of transportation is the low flight time of aircraft, caused in part by limited battery capacity and unoptimized propulsion systems.
Another barrier is the uncertainty surrounding reliability, as one of the key factors required to make eVTOL commercially viable is to have reliable powertrain components that prevent mid-air failure.
The test equipment developed during this project will allow eVTOL manufacturers to test their propulsion systems and find the most efficient combination of motors, propellers and electronics. This will get them one step closer to having a commercially available solution in the air.
]]>Tyto Robotics has officially released the long-anticipated ‘Flight Stand’, the newest piece of equipment in their line of drone thrust stands. The ‘Flight Stand’ is part of a new generation of products with enhanced capabilities that succeed their Series 1580 and 1780 thrust stands.
Figure 1: Flight Stand 15 in a coaxial testing set-up
The Flight Stand is available in two sizes: a 15 kgf and a 50 kgf model. The stand measures thrust, torque, RPM, power, efficiency and more for brushless motors and propellers. It can help users increase flight time, payload, range, reliability, and structural strength, as well as reduce noise level, vibration, and icing.
The stand boasts several improvements over past generations, including a higher sampling rate (1,000 Hz), improved accuracy, an ASTM calibration standard, and the ability to perform distributed electric propulsion (DEP) testing. The physical shape of the stand has also been reimagined to improve its aerodynamics and make the exposed elements dust and water resistant. What remains from previous generations is Tyto’s flagship frictionless design, made with a solid state monoblock load cell for maximum measurement accuracy.
“The idea is to reduce uncertainty when it comes to propulsion testing”, says Tyto President Charles Blouin, “with the real-time and DEP testing, you know exactly how your propulsion systems are operating at all times.”
Figure 2: Flight Stand 15 (left) and Flight Stand 50 (right)
The software used to control the thrust stand also has several new features, including automated testing with no programming required, novel powertrain mapping, a data management system with indexes, plots, tables, filtering, resampling capability, and much more. “The new software was built based on 7 years of feedback from thousands of users. It has many features that were specifically requested by our clients”, says Tyto Robotics CTO Dominic Robillard.
Tyto Robotics has several units of the stand in stock despite global material shortages. The stands are built in Canada at Tyto Robotics’ Gatineau facility and they will be available for direct sale in most countries, and from distributors in several other countries to provide better local support. Most tools can be shipped the next day.
]]>WindShape was founded in 2016 in Geneva by two alumni from the Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO). The WindShaper technology was conceived as a solution to many drone testing problems, including management of the testing environment and experiment replicability. This revolutionary solution facilitates free flight testing and provides an alternative to traditional wind tunnels. The partnership with like-minded Tyto Robotics aims to expand the availability of this technology to the aerospace sectors in Canada and the USA.
The WindShaper itself can be flat or curved, small or large, tiltable, and can include add-ons such as convergence layers and turbulence filters. Each individual fan in a WindShaper is independently controlled through an online GUI or custom scripting through a Python 3.x control API. 3D wind flow programming allows the user to simulate any wind environment, including turbulence, obstacles, gusts and landing conditions.
As the exclusive North American distributor, Tyto Robotics will help clients to conceive and design their wind testing facility, a highly customized task due to the modular construction of the wind generators.
The partnership comes at an ideal time as more countries commit to supporting drone innovation and infrastructure. WindShape wind facilities will play an important role in this evolution for research institutions and private businesses alike, with increased growth thanks to this new distribution agreement.
About Tyto Robotics
Tyto Robotics is a Canadian aerospace company specializing in the development of professional testing tools for drone characterization. Founded in 2014, the company manufactures several varieties of test stands that fully characterize brushless motors and propellers for drones and eVTOL aircraft. The test equipment and software precisely measure thrust, torque, power and efficiency so that drone designers can optimize their propulsion systems for maximum performance. Thousands of companies across the globe have benefited from Tyto Robotics’ products, including NASA, Airbus, Volansi and numerous prestigious research institutions. https://tytorobotics.com/
About WindShape Ltd
WindShape develops indoor weather simulation technology to test, validate and certify drones under controllable and repeatable flight conditions. Founded in 2016 in Switzerland, the company invented an innovative wind generator, called WindShaper, capable of generating an infinite variety of wind profiles through thousands of wind pixels (fans). With its open test section design, this technology allows for the study of drones in free flight, while monitoring their behaviour and evaluating their performance in a variety of conditions, including gusts, rain and even snow. WindShape’s goal is to enhance current drone testing and certification capabilities to enable autonomous and scalable applications. www.windshape.com
]]>To our valued customers,
We are pleased to share with you the exciting news of our company name change to Tyto Robotics.
Our industry has changed a lot since we announced the Series 1580 project six years ago. We now serve customers with much more advanced UAVs, large aerial vehicles, and air taxis. Formerly RCbenchmark, we believed it was time for a change to reflect the type of equipment we manufacture - quality, precise propulsion testing tools for all manner of drone operations.
‘Tyto’ refers to the genus of owls known for their efficient, silent flight. Our tools and equipment help our clients achieve these enviable qualities, which is why we have chosen the bird as our namesake. ‘Robotics’ as a field integrates computer science and engineering, which are both areas of expertise for our team.
Since our founding, we have introduced larger and larger test stands now measuring up to 75 kgf, as well as custom wind generators for full-scale free flight testing. Our new name reflects the caliber of the products we manufacture and the clients we serve.
While the company rebrands as Tyto Robotics, our first generation of test stands and software will be renamed the ‘RCbenchmark’ series.
We thank you for your continued support and patronage, and we look forward to serving you under our new name in the years to come. You can rest assured that we will keep supporting your tools and offer new ways to help propel our industry forward!
Yours truly,
Charles Blouin (Co-founder, CEO)
Dominic Robillard (Co-founder, CTO)
Avetics Global self-describes as a “a drone solutions company” with a key focus on end-to-end drone services for industrial spaces. They use their own customized drones to offer services such as 2D/3D mapping, building inspections, aerial videography and much more. They are a growing company with plans to enhance their services and R&D projects while maintaining their commitment to safety, professionalism and customer service.
The partnership comes at an ideal time as numerous Singaporean companies are coming forward with groundbreaking ideas that could change the landscape of the regional drone industry. With an expansion in drone activity comes a need for more testing and optimization across the board. The propulsion test stands and Windshapers offered by Tyto Robotics will help to fill this need, making the Singaporean drone industry safer and more efficient.
With both partners committed to advancing drone technology and efficiency, this collaboration stands to benefit the Singaporean drone industry for both manufacturers and users.
For product inquiries in Singapore, interested parties can contact team@avetics.com. For other product inquiries contact sales@tytorobotics.com or visit www.tytorobotics.com.
]]>The main business areas of VisionPlus Co., Ltd. include Test & Measurement equipment, Renewable Energy and Motor and Bearing Performance. The company has over 12 years of experience offering international products to the South Korean market, helping domestic manufacturers grow and thrive. Tyto Robotics’ products will further this objective and complement their current selection of aerospace and drone focused products.
The timing of the partnership is ideal as the South Korean drone industry is undergoing rapid expansion thanks to innovation in the private sector and government investment. In May of 2020, the Act for Promoting Drone Usage came into effect, clarifying drone regulations and outlining opportunities for market development in South Korea. This drone-friendly environment is ideal for the distribution of Tyto Robotics products, which are specifically designed to help with drone development and optimization.
The agreement promises to be beneficial for both companies, stimulating the aerospace sectors in South Korea and Canada. For product inquiries in South Korea, interested parties can contact vision@visionplus21.kr. For other product inquiries contact sales@tytorobotics.com or visit www.tytorobotics.com.
Tyto Robotics is a Canadian aerospace company located in Gatineau, Quebec. Thousands of companies around the world have benefited from their products, from new start-ups to large companies alike. They are the world leader in UAV propulsion testing.]]>