From October to December 2022 we had the pleasure to have Kavi Manu Kanes with us as an intern in hardware development. Kavi is studying mechatronics at the FH Bielefeld and completed a 12-week internship with us as part of the preparation for his bachelor thesis.  

How did you decide to do your internship at Third Element Aviation? Have you ever had anything to do with drones?  

A fellow student once told me that there was a company around here that worked with drones and ROS, so that stuck in the back of my mind.  

I had also considered buying a drone or building one myself, but never followed through. I find drones interesting because it’s still a fairly new field and has a lot of potential. I also had a bit of previous experience as an electrician and because I already worked with microcontrollers as a hobby and implemented smaller projects.  

What were your tasks here?  

I developed a prototype for a feature that Third Element needed. The first idea was to develop a kind of counter for the landing frame of the drone that measures how hard the impact is during landing. This could be used, for example, to better plan when such landing gear needs to be checked. Nothing came of that, though.  

But the second idea – which I then implemented – was a flight termination system.   

What did you particularly like about your time here?  

It was cool here, all the people were very nice. The cooperation was good and it was fun. You could get a taste of everything in the company and get an overview of how everything is connected. I could always ask questions.  

It was also cool that I was able to do something that helped the company move forward and that gave me confidence and responsibility. I also like that there are modern working time models and flexible hours here, and there was also a small payment for the internship.  

What advice would you give to other people who would like to do an internship here? What should you bring with you?  

I think an interest in model airplanes or drones would be good. You should have a desire for hardware and construction or at the mix of software and hardware, programming smaller things.  

You should also be good at teamwork and be able to engage with others. It is important – especially when solving problems – to exchange ideas. You should contribute your own ideas, but also let other people contribute ideas.  

Do you have any final words?  

I can only recommend an internship here!  

We would like to thank you, Kavi, for the good time and cooperation at 3EA and look forward to welcoming you back here for your final thesis.  

Are you also interested in doing an internship, writing a thesis or starting as a working student with us? Feel free to send us an email with your documents to jobs@3rd-element.com! 

3EA #thirdelementaviation #thefutureisairborne #aviation #drones #UAV #UAS #interview #bericht #praktikum #intern #internship #praktikant 

2022 was an exciting and eventful year for us, we thank everyone who was a part of it and say goodbye for this year with a memory from our 5th birthday in the summer.

#3EA #thefutureisairborne #aviation #drones #christmas #bielefeld #froheweihnachten #merrychristmas #geburtstag #birthday

Since 2021, Third Element Aviation has been pursuing a partnership with the company StriekAir from Gütersloh, operated by owner Thomas Strieker. StriekAir develops a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle, which is a useful addition to the 3EA portfolio.

The VTOL can be flown with a take-off weight of up to 25 kg (MTOW) and a speed of up to 100 km/h over a distance of up to 220 km. Of a total of seven electronically driven propellers, one is located “classically” on the nose and generates propulsion, while six propellers are located on the underside and enable vertical take-off and landing.

In collaboration with Third Element, the VTOL will be equipped with various use case specific camera types. Live streaming of the cameras will be possible via LTE connection through the integrated IoT electronics and 3EA software. The VTOL can also be controlled via the HHLA Sky control center solution in the future.

With the VTOL as an addition to the portfolio, completely new fields of application can be opened up, as long distances can be covered at high speed. For example, control and inspection flights of large areas (e.g. a dike coast), mapping of large areas as well as medium and long distance transports are possible and will be realized in future projects with first customers.

#3EA #thefutureisairborne #aviation #drones #UAV #VTOL

As a project of a bachelor thesis in the course of studies “Industrial Product Design” at the Saxon University of Applied Sciences Enschede, the concept of a mini-drone in Quadro-H form was developed in the past 12 months, on the basis of which a series product will be developed in the future. 

As a detection and surveillance drone in the 4-kilo class with a flight time of approximately 30 minutes, it is equipped with a 180° camera, LED status bars and a carrying handle, making it particularly suitable for mobile operations and authorities with security tasks. 

Supplied with electronics and software developed by Third Element Aviation, the mini drone fits into the product portfolio as a specific extension. It thus also has all the 3EA core functionalities such as LTE connection and IoT compatibility, so that it can also be controlled via the HHLA control center.  

The mini drone is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and thus for monitoring and inspecting industrial areas and halls. It is light and can be transported in a flyable condition, so that it can show its strengths during police and fire brigade operations, for example. 

Are you interested in writing a thesis with us? Then contact Chiara at cw@3rd-element.com – we look forward to your ideas.