Starling 2
Reference quadcopter
The ModalAI Starling 2 is a compact reference quadcopter designed for indoor and GPS-denied autonomous navigation development.
Mission Profile
The Starling 2 serves primarily as a high-performance development platform for robotics engineers, researchers, and companies focused on advanced drone autonomy. Its core purpose is to accelerate the prototyping and testing of algorithms for navigation, perception, and control, particularly in environments where traditional GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable, such as indoors, urban canyons, or subterranean spaces. It provides a robust hardware foundation integrated with powerful onboard computing.
This platform is instrumental in bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical application, allowing developers to rapidly iterate on software solutions for complex autonomous behaviors. It is not intended as an end-user product for specific operational missions but rather as a tool to build and validate the next generation of autonomous systems, enabling faster development cycles for various applications requiring precise, self-reliant drone operation.
Key Features
- ▸Integrated with ModalAI VOXL 2 compute platform for powerful onboard processing.
- ▸Designed for robust visual-inertial odometry (VIO) and GPS-denied navigation.
- ▸Compact and lightweight design suitable for indoor flight and confined spaces.
- ▸Open-source software compatibility, including PX4 and ROS 2.
- ▸Features multiple cameras for perception and navigation.
- ▸Serves as a reference design for developing custom autonomous drone solutions.
Specifications
- configuration
- Quadcopter
- endurance
- Up to 15 minutes
- payload
- 200g
- propulsion
- Electric
- speed
- 10 m/s
Notable Operators
Comparable Platforms
About the Manufacturer
ModalAI develops US-manufactured perception and communications systems for robots and drones. Its VOXL family of compute-and-autopilot modules is part of the DoD's Blue UAS Framework, used by independent builders and major manufacturers to deliver smaller, smarter, safer aircraft.