GAIA 160MP Hexacopter

The GAIA 160MP is a six-rotor industrial hexacopter with a 20 kg payload. It is a good middle ground: strong enough to carry survey-grade sensors and meaningful cargo, small enough to transport and deploy easily, and with the extra margin of six motors over four.

Why a hexacopter?

For many professional operators, the hexacopter is the sweet spot:

• More margin than a quad. With six rotors, a hexacopter generally has more ability to remain controllable after a motor problem than a quadcopter does. Depending on the flight controller, it may be able to land safely.
• Simpler than an octo. Six motors and ESCs are fewer to maintain than eight.
• Smooth sensor platform. Spreading thrust across six rotors helps produce stable flight for imaging.

What 20 kg lets you carry

Twenty kilograms of payload covers most professional sensor setups with room to spare:

• LiDAR scanners for survey, mining and forestry
• High-resolution mapping cameras for photogrammetry
• Thermal and zoom gimbals for inspection and public safety
• Multispectral sensors for agriculture and environmental work
• Light cargo such as tools, parts and medical supplies

Survey and inspection workflow

A typical GAIA 160MP survey day: plan flight lines in mission software, mount the sensor, fly automated grids, swap batteries between flights and process the data back at the office. See our drone mapping guide and drone inspection services articles for more on running these programmes.

Customisation

If you need specific gimbal mounts, payload power, data links or accessory integration, the 160MP is a strong base. See custom payload drones.

Related reading

• Industrial drone guide
• Drone survey solutions
• Best payload drones

Request a quote and tell us which sensors or cargo you plan to fly.