This is very interesting. I have had a hunch a fixed wing could be a pathway forward due to efficiency, but it requires all the complex elements you describe, including sensored landing. So cool!
The mapping drone space is so limited and increasingly expensive. Finding good, cost effective mapping drones, but especially sub 250g is a bit of a market choke point to any serious mapping work, and certainly a strong barrier to entry for new mappers.
Like Piero, definitely interested in any build links links / BOM / sales info.
As far as the formal, funded project: it is getting wrapped up in the next few weeks, with a fully functional collection of prototypes not (yet) targeting the 250g limit but will be able to take 3 simultaneous shots. I believe the plan is for HOT to deploy these in Kenya. The camera array with some amusing decoration can be seen below:
I expect we’ll get some nice updates from Ivan as he closes the project out and deploys to the field. And he’s working on next round of funding etc., so the prototypes should just be the start.
There are 2 additional inter-related projects now underway enthusiastically led by Oriol Lopez. The fixed wing project that I posted about in July pivoted hard when we proposed this workshop at FOSS4G 2025: Mapping with Mini UAVs – UAV build session Workshop, a revisit of the 2015 workshop at FOSS4G Seoul. Oriol has been hard at work at a single camera sub-250g quad for mapping, that is coming together quite nicely:
More on this closer to the date. I won’t be able to join due to an illness in my family, but I’m hoping it will still come together in time for Aukland, and regardless will be released into the wild soon.