Robinson enters the matrix, launches unmanned business unit By Mark Huber Robinson Helicopter formally launched an unmanned aircraft division on Tuesday, Mar. 10, at VERTICON. The company said the separate Robinson Unmanned business unit will be dedicated to “the development and support of a full suite of remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft” that includes modified models of its R44 and R66 helicopters and its Ascent line of coaxial rotor unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In making the announcement, Robinson president and CEO David Smith said, “Robinson is officially entering the ‘Era of Both,’ a fundamental shift where flight is no longer a choice between human intuition and machine precision, but the seamless integration of both. By folding the Rotor Technologies R44 remotely piloted solutions into our existing fleet of Ascent small and technology-agnostic, heavy-lift drones, we are creating a versatile ecosystem of certified, proven airframes capable of tackling any mission profile. Our goal isn’t just to build better helicopters; it’s to build smarter, safer VTOL solutions. By fusing human expertise with autonomous reliability, we are massively amplifying mission capability while significantly reducing operational risk. In environments where the danger is highest, our technology is at its strongest, ensuring that we aren’t just protecting the pilot, but redefining what’s possible.” Robinson has provided its helicopter airframes to a variety of companies for remotely piloted modifications since 1999, largely on an experimental or demonstration basis, including to Boeing and UAVOS, with the R22. Rotor Technologies first flew a remotely piloted Robinson R44 in late 2023 and is currently marketing these aircraft as the agricultural applicator “Sprayhawk” and the utility external lift “Airtruck.” In 2024, Robinson acquired Massachusetts-based Ascent AeroSystems, a manufacturer of coaxial rotor drones. In a pre-VERTICON interview with VAI, Smith revealed that Robinson is also collaborating with Sikorsky to develop a remotely piloted/autonomous version of its single-turbine R66 using Sikorsky Matrix technology, branded as the R66 Turbinetruck, which is expected to have military applications. The first R66 is currently being fitted by Sikorsky with Matrix. Smith told VAI that the company began discussing applying the Matrix package with Sikorsky almost two years ago as a military solution “on how to address contested logistics” but also sees civil applications for critical resupply of offshore energy platforms. “More autonomous resupply, more reduced risk, lower cost.” Sikorsky first began flying Matrix in 2013 with a modified S-76B and more recently with unmanned Black Hawks. Smith also sees the Ascent drones as a viable contender for a chunk of the Pentagon’s soon-to-be-awarded $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program (DDP), which has a goal of purchasing up to 300,000 of the vehicles. Twenty-five companies were selected to compete in Phase I of the four-phase DDP competition that began last month at Fort Benning, Georgia. Mark Huber is an aviation journalist with more than two decades of experience in the vertical flight industry.
