THORONDOR · NEEDS & PARTNERSHIPS
From simulation to flight.
Both Thorondor systems, Chronos (reconnaissance drone) and Talos (counter-drone), already work in simulation. The next step is real hardware and field tests. The two systems have very different needs: here is what each one takes.
Two systems, different hardware
| Chronos · reconnaissance | Talos · counter-drone | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the sensors are | On the drone (one stabilised camera looking down) | Mostly on the ground: fixed cameras watching the sky, and a turret camera |
| Where the computing runs | On the drone | On the ground; the interceptor only has to fly the commands |
| What matters for the drone | Endurance, stable images, payload | Speed and agility: it must out-accelerate its target |
| Speeds involved | A few m/s; delays of a tenth of a second barely matter | Tens of m/s on both sides; every millisecond of delay costs accuracy, so cameras must be synchronised and precisely time-stamped |
| Flight time per sortie | ~15 minutes | Under a minute, and the interceptor may not come back |
One drone serves both: the reconnaissance prototype is also the first target for interception tests.
Reconnaissance prototype
| Item | Essential | Full spec |
|---|---|---|
| Frame, flight controller, GPS, telemetry radio Holybro X500 V2 PX4 development kit: the same airframe and autopilot as in the simulation, so the flight software carries over unchanged. Full spec: Pixhawk 6X (triple-redundant sensors) instead of 6C. | ~550 € | ~900 € |
| Onboard computer Runs detection, mapping and tracking in real time on the drone, with the same code as in simulation. Essential: Jetson Orin Nano Super. Full spec: Jetson Orin NX 16 GB, room for larger detection models and learned navigation. | ~400 € | ~1,300 € |
| Stabilised gimbal camera 3-axis gimbal controlled directly by the onboard computer (video and attitude over Ethernet, time-stamped together). Essential: SIYI A8 mini (95 g). Full spec: SIYI ZR10, 10× optical zoom to detect and identify people from much further away. | ~300 € | ~550 € |
| Depth camera Forward-facing stereo depth (OAK-D Pro or RealSense), for obstacle avoidance and learned navigation. Can come in a second phase. | later | ~350 € |
| Safety radio control A pilot must be able to take over at any time. ELRS radio and receiver. | ~150 € | ~250 € |
| Batteries and charger 4S LiPo packs, about 15 minutes of flight each at ~2 kg take-off weight. | ~250 € | ~400 € |
| Integration and spare parts Power supply for the onboard computer, cables, storage, remote ID module, propellers, arms: crashes are part of testing. | ~250 € | ~400 € |
| Prototype | ~1,900 € | ~4,150 € |
| Optional: RTK GPS Centimetre-level positioning, so that objects are placed precisely on a real map. | 200 – 500 € | |
| Insurance and registration Drone liability insurance for outdoor flights; registration and pilot certificate with the French civil aviation authority (DGAC). | ~200 – 400 € / year | |
Prices are estimates (October 2026, NVIDIA raised Jetson prices this summer) and may change. Any contribution helps: a single component, a test site, or advice.
Counter-drone test bench
A small-scale version of the system, to test detection, tracking and interception against our own drones on an authorised site (first indoors, then outdoors).
| Item | Essential | Full spec |
|---|---|---|
| Ground cameras (×3) and lenses High-resolution machine-vision cameras with global shutter and telephoto lenses, so that a small drone is still visible far away. Hardware trigger to capture all images at the same instant. Essential: USB3 cameras. Full spec: PoE network cameras, higher resolution. | ~1,500 € | ~3,300 € |
| Masts, mounts, synchronisation and network Tripods or masts, trigger cabling, network switch with precise time synchronisation. | ~300 € | ~700 € |
| Turret camera Pan-tilt camera with optical zoom that stays locked on a target, to confirm and identify it. Essential: zoom gimbal camera on a fixed mount. Full spec: industrial pan-tilt unit with a long zoom. | ~600 € | ~2,500 € |
| Ground computer Runs detection on all camera streams in real time. Essential: the existing development laptop (RTX 4070). Full spec: dedicated workstation, ruggedised for the field. | existing | ~2,000 € |
| Interceptor drones (×2) Light, fast quadcopters with a high thrust-to-weight ratio, a flight controller that accepts external commands, and a low-latency radio link. Built to be crashed and repaired. | ~1,000 € | ~2,000 € |
| Target drones and spares Cheap drones to be intercepted, plus props, arms and batteries. The very first tests use thrown or launched objects (foam frisbees) before any drone-on-drone contact. | ~500 € | ~800 € |
| Safety equipment Independent kill switch on every drone (cuts the motors whatever the software does), safety nets for indoor tests, protective gear. | ~300 € | ~600 € |
| Counter-drone test bench | ~4,200 € | ~11,900 € |
Estimates, October 2026. The reconnaissance prototype above doubles as a target drone, so the two budgets partly overlap.
Beyond funding
Test sites
An open area where flights are allowed, to test autonomous missions safely; and a large closed space (hangar, hall) for the first interception tests.
Regulatory advice
Guidance on flight authorisations beyond the open category (counter-drone tests involve drone-to-drone contact), and on insurance.
Mentoring and introductions
People who build or operate drones, and who can challenge the approach.
A co-founder
Ideally a hardware, aerospace or field-operations profile to complement the software side.
Get in touch
If you can help with any of the above, or simply want to see a demo of the current system, I would be glad to talk.