Ascent Aerosystems, a drone maker and wholly owned subsidiary of Robinson Helicopter, unveiled its latest UAV on March 11 at the Verticon show in Dallas. Called Helius, it is the company’s first product in the sub-250-gram category.

The $4,500 drone uses artificial intelligence to avoid obstacles and track objects, which it detects using an electro-optical, ultra-low-light sensor that can tilt, pan, and zoom. It can fly for 30 minutes at a max speed of 45 mph.

According to Massachusetts-based manufacturer, Helius is American-made and complies with the National Defense Authorization Act, making it a viable option for U.S. government agencies and contractors. This includes law enforcement and emergency response operations.

“Helius delivers unmatched capability in its class at a competitive price. It is the drone we’ve wanted to make from the beginning; small enough to fit in your pocket but powerful enough to meet the rigorous demands of public safety, emergency response, and critical industrial missions,” said Ascent co-founder and CEO Peter Fuchs.

Ascent’s coaxial UAVs look much different than traditional quadcopter or multirotor designs, with a cylindrical airframe and centrally mounted counter-rotating blades. Payloads can be mounted both on the top and bottom of the airframe. 

“Bringing out coaxial propulsion technology to a sub-250-gram platform while maintaining the durability, performance, and reliability Ascent products are known for has been one of the most rewarding challenges we have undertaken,” Fuchs added.

Helius is available for pre-order, and Ascent expects deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter.