Integration trip to Auckland

The UC Vision drone team recently visited the University of Auckland team in February 2026 to integrate their automated pilot assist software with the Planetary Hex drone that the UoA group have been working on.

The visit focused on system integration and platform-level testing. After resolving a few inevitable integration issues, the team successfully demonstrated autonomous pruning in a lab environment (video below). The Planetary Hex had a very stable hover, and its ability to move horizontally without tilting made aligning the pruning tool with the branch easier compared to a traditional multi-rotor. Planned outdoor trials on the open rooftop area of the UoA Recreation Centre (images below) were later limited by strong winds, highlighting the challenges of operating in real-world conditions.