allonlinenovel Chapter 71 Prototype 2018
Chapter 71 Prototype 2018
In mid-December, the first prototype of the industrial-grade flight control system was completed.
It's not a complete product—it's a flight control module that can be installed on any industrial-grade drone platform.
It integrates three core functions: RTK centimeter-level positioning (mountain-optimized version), binocular visual obstacle avoidance (developed under the leadership of Liu Yu), and basic autonomous flight path planning.
Su Chen, Zhang Lei, and Liu Yu were looking at the module in the laboratory.
"President Su, this is the first version. There are still many details to refine. But the core functions are already working," Zhang Lei said.
"Liu Yu, how was your obstacle avoidance performance?"
"It met the standards in a laboratory environment. However, it hasn't been validated in a real mountain environment. Changes in lighting, vegetation obstruction, and fog interference—these cannot be simulated in a lab. We need to run it in a real-world setting."
Su Chen nodded.
"Two scenarios. The first is a palm plantation in Indonesia—AgriNusa has agreed to provide the testing environment. The second is the Shaoguan patrol section of China Southern Power Grid Smart Equipment. The two scenarios will run in parallel and will be completed in Q1 of next year."
"Q1?" Zhang Lei was somewhat surprised. "That's only three months."
"I know. But Shen Yumeng suggested we launch our Series B funding round in the first half of next year. If we're going to meet investors with a product—I want to have an industrial-grade flight control prototype that has been validated in real-world scenarios."
Zhang Lei and Liu Yu exchanged a glance.
"Can you do it?" Su Chen asked.
Zhang Lei thought for three seconds.
"If you can send me the parameter optimization plan for the mountainous environment tonight—that's fine."
Su Chen didn't laugh. But a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
I'll send it to you tonight.
That evening, Su Chen spent four hours in the virtual disassembly lab.
Based on the environmental parameters of AgriNusa's Palm Garden and the parameters of the Shaoguan patrol line from China Southern Power Grid Intelligent Equipment, he adjusted the obstacle avoidance algorithm and flight path planning algorithm of the industrial-grade flight control prototype.
At 2 a.m., he sent the two plans to Zhang Lei.
Postscript: "Download tomorrow morning. Verify in a real-world scenario next week."
Zhang Lei didn't ask him when he did it.
He's used to it.
12 month 31 day.
Su Chen sat in his office and did the final inventory of 2018.
He opened the three-year plan. The document was now densely covered with annotations.
[Consumer-grade]
The F3's cumulative sales exceeded 35,000 units. The F4's cumulative sales reached 15,000 units. The total for the year was 50,000 units. It held a dominant position in the county-level market. The Tianying S1, on the other hand, only sold 7,000 units, with an 8% return rate.
[Plant Protection Grade]
The SDK Alliance has accumulated 41 clients. Toyota's distribution channels have expanded to seven provinces. Overseas: AgriWing (four batches) and AgriNusa (three batches). The Indonesian palm plantation scenario is about to become an industrial-grade testing environment.
[Industrial Grade]
Flight control prototype V1 is complete. It integrates three main functions: RTK, obstacle avoidance, and flight path. Real-world scenario verification is pending (Palm Garden, Indonesia + Southern Power Grid Shaoguan). The goal is to complete this in Q1 of next year.
【team】
Twenty-two people are involved in R&D. Total employees number five hundred. The stock option moat is solid.
【finance】
Annual revenue exceeded 100 million. Net profit was approximately 25 million. The company was entirely self-sustaining.
【compete】
Tianying: The price war with its S1 system has failed. Its self-developed flight control system has yet to enter mass production after a year. The gap with Hongyuan continues to widen.
Shenzhen's drone industry: The wave of bankruptcies has largely ended. Fewer than 50 companies remain. Hongyuan is one of the few that continues to grow.
Su Chen looked at these numbers.
Annual revenue exceeded 100 million.
When he was reborn three years ago, he only had 120 million yuan.
This company now has an annual revenue of 100 million yuan. It operates 50,000 drones in county-level cities across the country. Forty-one agricultural machinery factories use its flight control systems. It has three overseas clients, two industrial-grade testing clients, an open ecosystem alliance, and an industrial-grade flight control prototype that is about to undergo real-world testing.
And next year—
Series B funding is about to begin. Not because of a lack of money—but because industrial-grade applications require greater investment.
Industrial-grade flight control systems will undergo real-world testing. The first batch will be developed in Palm Garden, Indonesia, and Shaoguan, China Southern Power Grid.
F4 will continue to expand its leading position in the county-level market.
The plant protection SDK ecosystem will accelerate its expansion through an alliance model.
We will continue to expand into new customers and new markets overseas.
Three lines. Three markets. Three types of customers.
But there is only one core principle.
Flight control.
The flight controller was written line by line of code.
The flight controller was tuned parameter by parameter in the virtual laboratory.
The flight control system has been tested in real-world applications on 50,000 consumer-grade products.
Flight control system flying over rice paddies in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Flight control system flying over palm groves in Java, Indonesia.
Flight control system for a flight that will soon be flying under the high-voltage lines in Shaoguan.
This flight control system is the soul of Hongyuan.
Su Chen closed the document.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Shenzhen, December 31st. Night fell early. The lights in Longhua District were even denser than last year. In the distance, several new buildings had already been topped out and were lit up.
Three years ago today, he had just been reborn. Lying in his hospital bed, he didn't know what the future held.
Now he knows.
The future is clear.
And it's getting clearer and clearer.
Su Chen turned off the lights.
2018 has come to an end.
In 2019, Hongyuan will enter a brand new phase.
Industrial grade. Series B funding. Larger market. Deeper moat.
But the core will not change.
Flight control.
It's always the flight control.