Hirondelle Technologies: Polytech students innovate with a revolutionary drone

They're between 21 and 23 years old, with a shared passion for engineering, and a project that's already making waves, even within the French Army. For the past two years, a team of Polytech students, supported by Pépite, has been developing a drone with a novel design, designed to meet both civilian and military challenges. A look back at a promising technological and human adventure.

At Pépite, we've been with them from the very beginning. What began as an idea scribbled down at the Paris Air Show in 2023 has become a genuine innovation project, driven by a close-knit, determined team. "The Paris Air Show was the catalyst," recalls Robin Perdreau, the man behind the project. "I saw the growing importance of drones, and I said to myself: why not us?"

A robotics student at Polytech, he quickly gathered around him six other passionate friends with complementary skills.

An unusual drone, designed differently

From the very first prototypes, their ambition was clear: to design a drone that would be more efficient, easier to handle, and above all capable of responding to the constraints of the field, whether civil or military. The model they are developing today is at a crossroads: both capable of taking off and landing vertically, like a multicopter, and flying horizontally, like an airplane. The real difference? They've done away with the technical compromises that hold back most hybrid models on the market.

Our system is based on three steerable thrusters, rather than two separate systems for vertical and horizontal flight. This allows us to optimize thrust, save energy, and be more stable, even in complex environments such as urban or confined areas.

The result is impressive: a 2.30m-long machine capable of flying at 200km/h, with a range of 300km, a range of over two hours, and a carrying capacity of 20kg - more than the weight of the chassis. This performance opens the way to a wide range of applications: reconnaissance missions, medical logistics, civil security, surveillance of sensitive infrastructures...

Credibility already established in the field

Their prototype has already been presented to several major players in both the armed forces and the civilian sector. And the feedback has been commendable.

We've received an enormous amount of interest from industry, army commanders and civil security services. Some are following us closely for the first flight demonstrations.

These demonstrations are scheduled for the end of 2025, and will represent a decisive step: proving that the drone can fly as well as in simulation, under real-life conditions. The team is working hard on this.
 

A young team, but already experts

What's striking about these students, beyond their seriousness, is their meteoric progress. "We've learned a lot on the job", they admit with humility.

Today, each of them is an expert in his or her own field: electronics, materials, mechanics, IT, AI, cryptography... We've set up a veritable technical micro-business.

A team dynamic that impresses even seasoned professionals. And while they may be young, their credibility is unquestionable. "Yes, at first you can sometimes sense a certain mistrust. But as soon as we show what we do, everything changes. Exchanges become fluid, professional and often very constructive. The army, in particular, has this rigor that pushes us to concrete action - it's a good match for us."

An entrepreneurial adventure taking shape

The spark for the project was born within a very specific pedagogical framework: the annual development program imposed on robotics students at Polytech. "Every year, we have to design a technical project. It was this framework that pushed us to dare, to prototype, to stand out from the crowd."Very quickly, the school proved to be an invaluable ally: premises made available, access to unused equipment, technical support...

We have the support of expert lecturers, particularly in artificial intelligence, localization and stabilization. This unfailing support from the school, both material and human, is a decisive gas pedal in our progress.

Accompanied by Pépite, they are about to take a new step: the official creation of their company. "We feel the right time is approaching. The technology is there, partners are beginning to position themselves, and a fund-raising round is in the pipeline for the end of the year." Their visit to the Paris Air Show this year marked a turning point. "We met a wide variety of profiles, chatted with other dronists, and took the measure of market expectations. It gave us a real roadmap."

This project, both ambitious and solidly led, perfectly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit defended by Pépite: that of students who dare, who learn, and who build tomorrow's innovation - thrusters in hand.