Main product
NORA
Onboard optical-inertial navigation module for UAVs that provides GNSS-like coordinates without satellite signal.
- MAVLink 2 over UART
- ArduPilot 4.5.5+
- Loiter, RTL, SmartRTL and AUTO support
VISUAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
GPS-denied navigationfor UAVs
DroneOps develops optical-inertial navigation modules that help UAVs operate when GPS is unavailable, jammed or spoofed.
- Optical-inertial
- MAVLink 2
- ArduPilot
NORA · QUAD·Pre-flight · GPS lost
GNSSJAMMED
NAV MODE
Pre-flight · GPS lost
GNSS UNAVAILABLEOPTICAL-INERTIAL · NORAMAP-AIDED · SONA
0 m
Vehicle
Multirotor
Range
25 km
Altitude
0 m
Speed
0 km/h
Battery
100%
Link
MAVLink 2
NORA drift
0 m
Position
48.052°N
37.870°E
Pre-flight
Outbound · NORA
Loiter
SmartRTL
Landing
Company
Science, industrial systems and defense technology
DroneOps is a science and technology startup working at the intersection of industrial systems and defense technology.
- Headquartered in London
- R&D, flight team, production in Ukraine
- R&D, flight team in Poland
Navigation Beyond GPS
Navigation Beyond GPS
DroneOps develops optical-inertial and satellite-assisted navigation for loitering, safe return and autonomous UAV missions in environments where GPS is unavailable, jammed or spoofed.
R&D direction
SONA
Satellite relocalization support that helps correct accumulated drift by comparing drone imagery with satellite imagery.
- Pre-commercial
- Map-aided correction
- Not positioned as a production product
Main product
NORA
NORA (Navigation Optical Resilient Architecture) connects to a flight controller through MAVLink 2 and acts as a GPS replacement or backup when satellite positioning is unavailable. It uses a nadir-facing camera and IMU to estimate position and orientation in real time, then outputs GNSS-compatible data into ArduPilot without changing mission planning or adding a pilot UI.
Performance depends on visibility and surface texture. Heavy rain, snow, dense fog, large homogeneous water surfaces and uniform snow cover can reduce navigation quality.
Dimensions
65 x 50 x 30 mm
Interface
MAVLink 2 / UART
Power
8-45 V / 15 W
Operating height
50–500 m *
* Can operate at higher altitudes — customisation required for specific customer needs.
Hardware
NORA Module Schematic
Exploded view of the module structure: protective housing, processing board, mounting stack and thermal base.
Module
Optical-inertial navigation
Size
65 x 50 x 30 mm
Interface
MAVLink 2 / UART
Power
8-45 V / 15 W
NORA / DEVICE STACKGNSS-DENIED READY
Field validation
Highest visual navigation accuracy at Brave1, May 2026
On 12 May 2026, DroneOps demonstrated NORA at the Brave1 defense innovation cluster — achieving the highest navigation accuracy among all visual navigation participants.
0.25%
Fixed-wing drift error
Over 80 km demonstration mission
1.3%
Multirotor drift error
Over 22 km demonstration mission
Best-in-class
Brave1 cluster demo
Highest precision among visual navigation participants
Brave1 is the Ukrainian government defense innovation cluster supporting next-generation defense technology.
Main product
NORA
Onboard optical-inertial navigation module for UAVs that provides GNSS-like coordinates without satellite signal.
01
Loiter
Position holding without GPS. Designed for UAV teams that need stable operation in EW-contested environments or controlled holding over an area.
02
Safe Return / RTL & SmartRTL
Return scenarios for platforms operating at short and medium ranges. When GPS is unavailable or jammed, the UAV can return using NORA navigation data without continuous manual control.
03
Autonomous Missions / AUTO
Route-based autonomous missions for UAVs of different types in GPS-denied conditions.
Integration process
From Requirements to Operational Deployment
The integration path is built for UAV manufacturers, system integrators and defense customers that need a practical route from platform requirements to flight evidence.
01
Planning
Define platform requirements: use case, range, altitude, operational limits, integration plan and joint test plan.
02
Navigation Integration
Physical and software integration of the module, power and UART connection, autopilot configuration.
03
Calibration
Calculate the transformation matrix between the navigation module coordinate system and the UAV coordinate system.
04
Mission Testing
Validate NORA operation through a controlled flight profile.
05
Operational Review
Analyze logs, refine limitations, update mission configuration and prepare the next task with a clear evidence trail.
Deployment options
Flexible integration
DroneOps can support different procurement, integration and deployment models depending on platform maturity and operational context.
Standalone hardware kit — a deployable navigation and mission package for teams that need an integrated field configuration.
Custom Integration
Engineering support for platform-specific wiring, autopilot settings, calibration and joint flight testing.
Software License
Licensed navigation software for approved UAV programs and technical partners with their own integration path.
Enterprise Deployment
Program-level deployment support for manufacturers, integrators, defense primes and multi-team environments.
Standalone Use
A field-ready hardware package for teams that need navigation capability without rebuilding their full workflow.
Ecosystem
Partners and integrations
DroneOps integrates with leading autonomy software vendors, UAV manufacturers and defense innovation programs.
Partner
Brave1
Defense innovation cluster · Ukraine
Cluster participant
DroneOps is a participant of Brave1, the Ukrainian government defense innovation cluster supporting next-generation defense technology.
Active integrations
Swarmer
Swarm autonomy software
Airlogix
UAV logistics platform
Partner · Argus
Fixed-wing producer · undisclosed
Partner · Nightbird
Multirotor producer · undisclosed
NORA is integrated with leading UAV manufacturers and autonomy software providers. Below are publicly disclosed partners.
Operator workflow
Simple Setup Without Changing the Operator Workflow
NORA is designed to fit into familiar autopilot and integrator practices rather than adding another operational interface.
Ready for Integrators
The connection model is familiar to teams already working with ArduPilot, MAVLink 2 and flight controllers.
Familiar Operator Interface
Navigation state is delivered through standard autopilot indicators. Operators do not need an additional interface.
Secure Deployment
The navigation module is built with several protection layers and avoids exposing navigation data unnecessarily.
Contact
Discuss NORA integration
Share your platform requirements and our team will help define the integration path, test profile and deployment model.
Prefer direct contact?
contact@droneoperations.ai