The aerospace and defense industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by automation, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency, and growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, autonomy, anti-collision technology, 3D printing/additive manufacturing, and battery technology. As modernization requirements continue to drive investment within both the civil and military aerospace sectors, widespread demand for surveillance drones has incentivized significant innovation within the field of drones. In the last three years alone, there have been over 237,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defense industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Drones in defense: surveillance drones. Buy the report here.

Smarter leaders trust GlobalData

Report-cover

Data Insights Drones in defence: Surveillance drones

Buy the Report

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 206,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the aerospace and defense industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Surveillance drones is a key innovation area in drones

Surveillance drones are remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with various sensors and cameras capable of capturing high-quality images and videos. These drones are also used for surveillance missions to collect data in real-time. They can also be operated remotely and used for surveillance, monitoring, and reconnaissance purposes in various fields including defense, agriculture, construction, and law enforcement.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 70+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defense companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of surveillance drones.

Key players in surveillance drones – a disruptive innovation in the aerospace and defense industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

Patent volumes related to surveillance drones

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Casio Computer 7 Unlock Company Profile
Motorola Solutions 12 Unlock Company Profile
Qualcomm 3 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 6 Unlock Company Profile
Johnson Controls International 5 Unlock Company Profile
Parrot 2 Unlock Company Profile
Ambarella 2 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 2 Unlock Company Profile
Zumtobel Group 4 Unlock Company Profile
Rakuten Group 3 Unlock Company Profile
Hon Hai Precision Industry 3 Unlock Company Profile
Alarmcom 43 Unlock Company Profile
Nokia 12 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 13 Unlock Company Profile
Alico 3 Unlock Company Profile
CACI International 4 Unlock Company Profile
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson 11 Unlock Company Profile
Hanwha 2 Unlock Company Profile
Doosan 2 Unlock Company Profile
Sony Group 16 Unlock Company Profile
Amazon.com 6 Unlock Company Profile
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone 2 Unlock Company Profile
LG 3 Unlock Company Profile
IBM 4 Unlock Company Profile
Honeywell International 18 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 4 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Heavy Industries 7 Unlock Company Profile
Walmart 27 Unlock Company Profile
Kubota 4 Unlock Company Profile
NEC 11 Unlock Company Profile
Tatung 2 Unlock Company Profile
Intel 9 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 8 Unlock Company Profile
Nikon 5 Unlock Company Profile
GoPro 4 Unlock Company Profile
Beijing Electronics 6 Unlock Company Profile
Zendrive 2 Unlock Company Profile
Trace Live Network 2 Unlock Company Profile
SZ DJI Technology 67 Unlock Company Profile
Global Tel*Link 2 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 3 Unlock Company Profile
GeoFrenzy 7 Unlock Company Profile
Prodrone 9 Unlock Company Profile
OPTiM 6 Unlock Company Profile
Autel Robotics USA 2 Unlock Company Profile
TG-17 6 Unlock Company Profile
Xiaomi 8 Unlock Company Profile
Cloudparc 3 Unlock Company Profile
Isolynx 9 Unlock Company Profile
Shenzhen Autel Intelligent Aviation Technology 2 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

SZ DJI Technology is one of the leading patent filers in modular configurable drones. The company filed patents related to remote control method and terminal which is basically control of position or automatic pilot involving pointing a payload, e.g., camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target and system.

Some other key patent filers in this space include Alarmcom, Walmart, Honeywell International, Sony Group, and Panasonic.    

In terms of application diversity, Kubota, Zendrive, Denso, Doosan, Rakuten Group, and LG are some of the leading innovators. By means of geographic reach, some of the leading patent filers include Nokia, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Isolynx, Intel, and Ford Motor.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defense industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Drones in Aerospace and Defense.

Data Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.