Meanwhile, in Germany, another innovator had been developing what would become the backbone of our company: the Microdrones unmanned aerial vehicle.
Like many tech companies, Microdrones began in a basement. The location was Siegen, Germany; the person was Udo Juerss, the inventor that would create the world’s first commercial quadcopter. But the catalyst for this achievement was a friendly bet.
A long-time family friend named Willi shared Udo’s enthusiasm for model aircraft. He often acquired expensive new models for his hobby fleet. One day, Willi excitedly showed Udo a pricey new titanium aircraft he had imported from Japan. He eagerly asked Udo what he thought. Udo collected model aircraft, but always suspected a 4-rotor design would perform better.
“Well, Willi . . . I think it’s the same rubbish you always show me!” said Udo. “Another neat gadget based on the same old concept: one main rotor plus one rear motor for stability. But it does not generate boost!”
“How would you propose they do that, Udo?” asked Willi.
“I assume a quadcopter would do much better,” Udo replied.
“And how exactly would you make such a thing fly, Udo?” Willi demanded.
“I bet you,” Udo declared, “that I can make a quadcopter and that I will make it fly.”
Udo dove into the subject of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, furiously reading and researching. He purchased a three-rotor platform and investigated. While he found the machine very interesting, he stuck with his idea that a quadcopter would perform better.
What began as a casual bet quickly became an obsession for Udo. He spent every spare moment in his basement working on his first drone and then outdoors in places like his grandmother’s garden testing his aircraft.
