Story
From whiteboards to wilderness
NOCTUA started as a one-year focus project to protect wildlife and evolved into a second-generation UAV platform aimed at reliable, long-endurance coverage.
Here’s how we moved from first flights to a startup-ready system.
2023 Focus Project
Ten students, one year, one mission
NOCTUA began in 2023 as an ETH Zurich focus project, a full year where ten mechanical and electrical engineering students set out to give rangers an eye in the sky against poachers in African national parks.
We designed, built, and flight-tested our first long-endurance prototype, and wrapped the year with a successful rollout to students and researchers.
Highlights
- Year-long cross-functional focus project with 10 engineers
- Mission: deter poachers and support rangers over vast reserves
- First prototype flown and showcased at the focus rollout
Research Continuation
Extending the platform
After the focus project, we continued as a research effort to harden software, iterate hardware, and explore new payloads and use cases.
Demand for long-endurance, quiet flight appeared across Switzerland and Europe, environmental monitoring, infrastructure checks, and emergency support, not just anti-poaching missions.
Highlights
- Refined autonomy, comms, and payload integration
- Fielded interest from conservation, utilities, and public safety teams
- Validated the need for long-endurance flight closer to home
Second Generation
Building a scalable, efficient Mark II
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With lessons pulled from the first airframe, we’re now focused on a second-generation platform designed to be more scalable, more affordable, and even more efficient.
The goal: a launch-ready system that underpins a startup built around dependable, long-endurance aerial coverage.
Highlights
- Re-architecting for manufacturing, serviceability, and modular payloads
- Efficiency and cost targets to widen access to long-endurance flight
- Laying the groundwork to found a startup around the platform