A High-Performance Platform for Magnetic Surveys | KEEL Long Rang Drone

The new era of unmanned exploration is here—precise, efficient, and safe.

Application Background

Aeromagnetic survey is a geophysical technique used to infer subsurface geological structures and mineral distribution by detecting subtle variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. Traditional aeromagnetic survey comes with high operational costs, complex deployment procedures, and considerable safety risks. Ground-based surveys, on the other hand, rely heavily on manpower and are often inefficient.

The KEEL magnetic survey drone offers an innovative solution to these limitations. Featuring high operational efficiency, flexible deployment, and all-weather capability, it is particularly well-suited for large-scale aeromagnetic survey in regions with complex terrain or poor visibility. With its long endurance and extended range, KEEL magnetic survey drone can achieve up to twice the operational efficiency of conventional multirotor platforms while covering significantly larger survey areas.

Technical Advantages

Modular Architecture & Rapid Deployment

The KEEL drone features a unique modular quick-release design, allowing rapid, tool-free assembly. Its carbon-fiber composites and aerospace-grade aluminum construction provide exceptional structural strength while keeping the airframe lightweight. When disassembled, the entire system fits neatly into a 1.2-meter carrying case, with the airframe weighing only 4 kg (excluding the battery), making it highly portable. The aeromagnetic payload can be quickly attached via the bottom connector interface, significantly enhancing mobility and deployment efficiency in the field.

Outstanding Payload Capacity & Endurance

In aeromagnetic mission, endurance directly impacts survey coverage and reduces downtime from battery swaps. The onboard magnetometer weighs approximately 1.5 kg, while the KEEL drone supports a maximum takeoff weight of 20 kg and an effective payload capacity of 10 kg, fully accommodating high-precision magnetometer integration. With a 2 kg payload, KEEL drone achieves 104 minutes of continuous flight using 7S 37.5Ah battery packs, covering up to 50 km at a speed of 8 m/s. This enables uninterrupted, large-scale exploration missions.

Professional-Grade Detection Accuracy

The system integrates a miniature rubidium optical-pumped magnetometer with a field sensitivity greater than 20 pT/Hz field s and a dynamic range of 1000 to 100,000 nT, while the sensor itself weighs only 30 g.Paired with a 3-axis low-noise fluxgate magnetometer, the system achieves ±100 nT measurement accuracy with inter-axis error less than 1°.The data acquisition unit includes four ARM Cortex-A53 processors, supports 20 Hz sampling, and features a 24-bit high-speed ADC to ensure real-time data compensation and calibration—providing reliable and high-quality datasets for exploration.

Multi-Constellation & Multi-Frequency Dual-Antenna RTK

Supporting five major GNSS constellations with 1408 tracking channels, the system ensures rapid satellite acquisition and stable signal lock across any terrain.

It delivers centimeter-level real-time dynamic positioning accuracy (horizontal: 0.8 cm + 1 ppm; vertical: 1.5 cm + 1 ppm). This enables KEEL magnetic survey drone to precisely follow predefined survey lines and accurately associate each magnetic reading with its corresponding geospatial coordinate, minimizing positioning errors and facilitating the generation of high-precision magnetic anomaly maps.

Terrain Following & Obstacle Avoidance Safety

KEEL quadcopter drone integrates a high-precision terrain-following radar and a 79 GHz millimeter-wave obstacle-avoidance radar, forming a comprehensive 3D safety system.

The terrain-following radar offers a measurement range of 0.26–90 m, allowing the drone to maintain a constant altitude over uneven terrain and ensuring spatial consistency and a high signal-to-noise ratio for magnetic data.The millimeter-wave radar provides ±0.1 m ranging accuracy and a detection distance of up to 40 m, enabling forward obstacle awareness and avoidance.

Together, these systems safeguard flight operations in complex environments while preserving the integrity of high-precision magnetic anomaly datasets.

Application Fields

The advent of unmanned aeromagnetic surveying is reshaping how we understand the subsurface world. High-performance UAVs, such as the KEEL quadcopter drone, deliver unparalleled efficiency, accuracy, and reliability in geophysical exploration, enabling industries to acquire actionable underground data safely and cost-effectively.A new era of precise, efficient, and safe unmanned exploration is now upon us.