Intel Acquires Drone Maker

Intel Corp. said Monday it has purchased drone maker Ascending Technologies, a 75-employee company that focuses on professional-grade drones that automatically detect and avoid obstacles.

Intel did not disclose the price but said all employees are receiving offers to join Intel.

In a blog post, the chip company said the acquisition of the Krailling, Germany-based company lets it "integrate the computing, communications, sensor and cloud technology required to make drones smarter and more connected."

Some of Ascending Technologies products already use Intel's RealSense 3D camera. The company sells its products, which can be used for visual inspections of hard-to-reach places and 3D mapmaking, to companies and researchers.

As drones have become more popular, government regulators have become concerned with their safety. Regulators recently started requiring drones to be registered with the federal government.

Auto-avoidance systems, such as the ones being developed by Ascending Technologies, could prevent drones from crashing into trees, people and airplanes. According to an analysis of government data by Bard College researchers, airplane pilots said that drones flew closer than 500 feet to their aircraft 241 times from December 2013 to September 2015.

Write to Austen Hufford at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 04, 2016 13:35 ET (18:35 GMT)

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