Drone lifts objects using claws

Drones can seemingly do anything these days. There are all kinds of custom drones now for everything, including agriculture and mine hunting. Now, a company from Japan is increasing drone capability further by slapping on a couple of claws that look somewhat frightening given that there is no face or body to go with them.

The ability to lift objects is quite important to drone makers. There is a race going on to create UAVs that are good at lifting, moving and delivering objects. The Prodrone PD6B-AW-ARM is advertised as being able to lift up to 44 pounds, which is an improvement over what many drones are capable of.

Prodrone said the new courier drone can fly for up to 30 minutes, which makes it "suitable for long operations." However, it is not clear if that is with a full payload. The company suggested the Prodrone can be used to do things such as carry hazardous materials and send cargo to remote areas, assuming that area is not more than a 30-minute flight.

Much of the technology in the Prodrone is probably not very unique to it, but the claws are certainly a unique touch. It creates a lot of new possibilities and it would not be surprising if more companies pick up this feature as commercial drones become more common. Not all use cases have a need for claws, but many industrial settings might appreciate it.