Nanoveu’s ECS-DoT Chip Powers Drones with 50 Hz Real-Time Control, Boosting Flight Time

A Breakthrough in Drone Flight Control

Nanoveu Limited’s subsidiary, EMASS, has announced a significant technical achievement with its ECS-DoT chip successfully completing a 50 Hz control loop during drone flight simulations. This means the chip can process flight data and adjust propeller outputs 50 times per second, a speed that matches the responsiveness of leading flight controllers. This rapid feedback loop is essential for maintaining drone stability amid changing environmental conditions such as wind gusts or payload shifts.

The milestone was reached using PX4/Gazebo hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, where the chip demonstrated consistent timing with loop-to-loop variation under ±1 millisecond across thousands of cycles. This level of precision and speed in a sub-milliwatt power envelope is a notable feat, positioning ECS-DoT as a highly efficient platform for real-time autonomous flight control.

Implications for Flight Time and AI Integration

One of the most compelling outcomes of this development is the projected increase in drone flight time by up to 30%. By enabling smarter, faster onboard decision-making with minimal energy consumption, ECS-DoT addresses one of the biggest challenges in drone operations: battery life. This improvement could have wide-reaching effects across industries relying on drones for delivery, inspection, agriculture, and defence.

Beyond flight control, the chip’s ultra-low power draw, less than that of a typical digital watch, makes it ideal for running advanced AI tasks directly on the drone. These include precision landing, infrastructure inspection, and predictive maintenance, all without relying on cloud connectivity. The next phase of testing will integrate AI models using reinforcement learning to further optimize flight strategies in real-world conditions.

Broader Market Potential and Strategic Vision

Nanoveu’s ambitions extend well beyond drones. The ECS-DoT chip’s capabilities align with growing demand in wearable technology, IoT devices, and health monitoring systems, where low power consumption and real-time processing are critical. The global wearable market alone is projected to exceed USD 186 billion by 2030, highlighting the commercial opportunity for such efficient AI platforms.

Mark Goranson, CEO of Nanoveu’s Semiconductor Division, emphasised that this milestone validates ECS-DoT as a commercially viable solution for a range of next-generation devices. As edge computing and embedded AI become increasingly important, ECS-DoT’s scalable architecture could become a cornerstone technology across multiple sectors.

With live drone trials scheduled to commence following the completion of phase 1 testing by the end of June, Nanoveu is poised to demonstrate ECS-DoT’s real-world performance and commercial readiness. Investors and industry watchers will be keen to see how these trials translate into tangible market adoption and partnerships.