The Bee
The drone
Launches, patrols and streams live, then tracks and follows on its own. Low-light cameras as standard, thermal optional.
Aerdefence PatrolPut eyes over your
Put eyes over your
site in seconds.
An autonomous security drone that launches on alert, patrols on a schedule you set, and streams live to your team. Managed by Aerdefence, built by Sunflower Labs.
600m
Coverage radius per Hive
15min
Operational flight per sortie
8hr/day
Time in the air
EASA
SORA cleared to fly
Built in Europe
Capability
Eyes where you need them, the moment you need them.
ONE DRONE
ONE SITE
Reach any point in seconds
Send the drone to investigate activity on any part of the site. No waiting on a patrol car, no gap in cover.
Track and deter
The drone does more than watch. It follows an unauthorised person or vehicle and holds the position while you decide how to respond.
Detection that knows what to look for
Onboard AI identifies people, vehicles and animals, flags hazards such as fire or forced entry, and sends an SMS the moment something needs attention.
Operation
From trigger to stood-down, on its own.
FIVE STEPS
ONE SORTIE
- 01
A flight is triggered
The drone launches in seconds: automatically from a sensor or camera, on a randomised schedule, or on demand from your team.
- 02
It flies to the location
The drone navigates the route on its own, avoids obstacles, and operates in most weather conditions. Routes and key points are saved for next time.
- 03
You watch, or take control
Live HD video streams to your team from anywhere. Tap-to-fly controls mean no drone experience is needed to direct it for a closer look.
- 04
It detects and deters
Onboard AI identifies people, vehicles and animals and can follow a target. A visible drone overhead moves most intruders on, with an SMS alert if you need to step in.
- 05
It returns to the Hive
After the sortie the drone lands itself and recharges, ready to deploy again in minutes.
The system
Two parts. The Bee and the Hive.
BEE + HIVE
ONE SYSTEM
The Hive
The base station
The Bee launches from the Hive and returns to it to land and recharge, ready to deploy again in minutes.
Use cases
Built for sites that can't wait for a patrol car.
Aerdefence Patrol complements Aerdefence Detect. Detect tells you when someone else's drone is in your airspace. Patrol puts your own drone over the ground the moment something moves.
Industrial
Critical infrastructure
Substations, data centres, refineries, ports and yards. Cover ground that is slow to walk and costly to staff, with an audit trail for every sortie.
Commercial
High-traffic sites
Distribution centres, warehouses, retail parks and car parks. Deter theft and trespass, and hand your team a clear incident record.
Estates
Estates & private property
Large estates and working farms. Put eyes over the grounds without a night guard on every gate.
Privacy
It sees your site, and nothing past the fence.
GEOCAGED
BLURRED
Geocaged airspace
Flights are confined to your property by a geocage. The drone stays strictly within your boundary.
Flight optimisation
Patrol routes focus only on what is inside your property line.
Real-time blurring
Anything beyond your boundary is blurred automatically, in both the live feed and the recording, so neighbours and passers-by stay private.
No facial recognition
The drone detects people, vehicles and animals. It does not run facial recognition, and it carries no microphone.
Compliance
Cleared to fly, certified on the ground.
EASA SORA
ISO 27001
Aerdefence Patrol operates under EASA SORA authorisation, valid across EASA member states including Ireland. Aerdefence confirms the regulatory clearance for your site and handles the approvals needed to get the drone flying.
The information security management system behind the platform is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 by an accredited auditor. All footage belongs to you. You choose where it is stored and you can export or delete it at any time, held within EU data centres by default.
Pilot-in-command
Most operations require a pilot-in-command connected while the drone is flying. That can be your team, your security provider, or one of our remote piloting partners. For most of the flight the pilot observes rather than flies.
FAQ
The questions Irish operators ask first.
How much area does one system cover?
One Hive covers a radius of roughly 600 m. Larger sites are covered by deploying additional Hives that coordinate together.
How long does the drone fly?
Around 15 minutes of operational flight per sortie, with time reserved for a safe return and landing. Up to 8 hours of flying per day across repeated short sorties.
Does it fly at night?
Yes. The drone carries low-light cameras as standard, with thermal imaging available as an optional payload.
Do we need a licensed pilot?
A pilot-in-command must be connected while the drone is flying. That can be your team, your security provider, or an Aerdefence remote piloting partner. For most of the flight the pilot observes rather than flies.
Does it work with our existing security system?
Yes. The system integrates with most modern security and camera setups and can be triggered by your existing sensors.
Can it follow an intruder?
Yes. It tracks and follows people and vehicles, and its visible presence deters most intruders before anything escalates.
Can it talk to an intruder?
No. The drone carries no speaker or microphone.
Where is the footage stored, and who owns it?
You own all footage. It is held in EU data centres by default, and you choose retention and storage to suit your obligations.
Does it use facial recognition?
No. It detects people, vehicles and animals only.
Where does the Hive go?
In an open spot with clear sky, on a flat roof or ground location, with mains power and a wired internet connection.
Next step
A briefing takes fifteen minutes.
Walk through coverage on your site, deployment timelines, and how Patrol sits alongside your current security. We’ll show you the system on a real property.