CATUAV

CATUAV S.L. is a Spanish technology company focused on unmanned aerial vehicles and aerial data services. Based at the Moià airfield in the BCN Drone Center north of Barcelona, the company develops and operates UAV platforms for the acquisition of georeferenced imagery, terrain data, environmental measurements, and other remotely sensed information. Its work is oriented primarily toward civil and commercial applications rather than consumer drones or general-purpose aircraft manufacturing. The business originated in 2003 as a new UAV activity within Aeroplans Blaus S.L., an organization associated with experimental and sport aviation equipment. During its early development, the activity produced prototype unmanned aircraft and participated in surveillance-related development under a strategic arrangement involving Proytecsa and Indra. As the UAV activity expanded, it was separated into CATUAV in 2007, allowing the new company to offer operational aerial services as a dedicated business. CATUAV's service model combines aircraft, payload integration, flight operations, mission planning, data links, ground-control equipment, and post-processing. Its systems have been used to produce orthophotos, digital terrain and surface models, oblique aerial imagery, three-dimensional point clouds, and atmospheric measurements. Depending on the mission, aircraft can carry visible-light, near-infrared, thermal, or hyperspectral sensors. The resulting information can support precision agriculture, forestry, hydrology, geology, mining, civil works, archaeological research, energy and infrastructure management, fire detection, waste management, environmental studies, surveillance, and landmine detection. The company's principal UAV families include the lightweight electric Atmos series, the longer-range Furos platform, the endurance-oriented Argos evolution of Furos, and the compact electric Mineos system. CATUAV has also operated complementary third-party equipment, including multirotor systems, thermal cameras, and specialist mosaic-processing software. Its technical infrastructure includes a proprietary telemetry protocol, radio and satellite communication options, towable and portable ground-control stations, and mission-planning and control software adapted to its aircraft. A notable operational deployment occurred after the May 2011 Lorca earthquake in Spain. CATUAV conducted flights over the affected town shortly after the disaster and generated high-resolution orthophotography to help emergency services assess and quantify building damage. The company has also participated in the European Space Agency's SAFEDEM project, which concerned the development of technology to support demining activities in Bosnia. In 2008, CATUAV entered a strategic agreement with AURENSIS, a Telespazio and Finmeccanica company, and subsequently reported carrying out more than 100 commercial civil-sector missions. CATUAV has received recognition in European navigation, technology, environmental, robotics, and social-innovation programs. Its awards and prizes include regional and special-topic recognition connected with the European Satellite Navigation Competition and Galileo Masters, as well as distinctions associated with Innovacat, environmental work, drone social innovation, and robotics. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current executive roster, ownership structure, financial profile, or an official active website URL. The company is therefore best characterized as a privately held Spanish UAV technology and aerial-services specialist whose value proposition rests on integrated aircraft operations and actionable geospatial data.

CATUAV's origins date to 2003, when an unmanned-aircraft development activity was created within Aeroplans Blaus S.L., a company associated with experimental and sport aviation equipment. The initial work involved building a UAV prototype for aerial image acquisition. The activity subsequently expanded into the development of surveillance-related UAV systems through a strategic agreement involving Proytecsa and Indra. By 2007, the UAV business had grown sufficiently to become CATUAV, a separate company established to provide operational services using the aircraft and systems that had been developed. This separation marked a shift from an internal development line to a dedicated technology and services business. CATUAV's base at the Moià airfield, later associated with the BCN Drone Center, provided an operating location for aircraft testing, deployment, and mission work. In 2008, CATUAV signed a strategic agreement with AURENSIS, a company linked to Telespazio and Finmeccanica. The relationship supported the company's expansion of civil-sector UAV operations. Available reference material states that CATUAV had completed more than 100 commercial missions in the civil market after this period, although it does not provide a complete mission list or revenue figures. The company developed a portfolio of aircraft for different payload and endurance requirements. Atmos was a lightweight electric mini-UAV intended mainly for mapping, with successive versions culminating in Atmos-6. Furos used a gasoline engine and was designed for medium-range missions, with a modular payload bay and provisions for thermal imaging. Argos evolved from Furos and emphasized endurance, payload flexibility, short-field deployment, and transportability. Mineos provided a smaller, quiet electric platform suitable for video surveillance, photogrammetry, filming, scientific work, and remote sensing. CATUAV's capabilities extended beyond airframes. The company developed its own telemetry protocol and mission software, along with towable and portable ground-control stations. Its aircraft could be configured with visible, near-infrared, thermal, or hyperspectral sensors. Data products included geometrically corrected orthophotos, digital terrain and surface models, dense point clouds, oblique imagery, and atmospheric measurements. These outputs were intended for professional applications such as agriculture, forestry, mining, infrastructure, environmental research, emergency response, hydrology, archaeology, energy management, and surveillance. One of the company's most visible missions followed the earthquake that struck Lorca, Spain, in May 2011. CATUAV carried out flights approximately 38 hours after the event and produced high-resolution orthophotography of the town. The imagery assisted emergency personnel in evaluating and quantifying damage to buildings. The deployment was described in the reference material as an early European example of a mini-UAV being used in a civil emergency. CATUAV also participated in the SAFEDEM project of the European Space Agency, concerning technology for demining support in Bosnia. The project illustrates the company's use of UAV-based sensing beyond conventional mapping and surveying. Its recognition has included the European Satellite Navigation Competition or Galileo Masters special-topic and regional prizes in 2011, the Innovacat and Premi Medi Ambient distinctions in 2012, and awards connected with drone social innovation and robotics in 2015. Public reference material does not document subsequent ownership changes, financial performance, a current executive team, or a definitive current website. Accordingly, the documented history primarily covers CATUAV's formation, UAV technology development, civil missions, and specialist geospatial applications.

• 2015

  Drone and robotics recognition

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  CATUAV received awards associated with drone social innovation and the Nit de la Robotica.

• 2012

  Innovacat and environmental awards

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  CATUAV received distinctions identified in reference material as Innovacat and Premi Medi Ambient awards.

• 2011

  Lorca earthquake response

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  CATUAV conducted UAV flights over Lorca after the earthquake and generated high-resolution orthophotography for emergency damage evaluation.

• 2011

  Galileo Masters recognition

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  The company received European GNSS Agency special-topic and regional recognition for a TCAS project for mini-UAVs.

• 2008

  Strategic agreement with AURENSIS

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  CATUAV entered a strategic agreement with AURENSIS, supporting its civil-market UAV activity.

• 2007

  CATUAV is established as a separate company

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  The expanding UAV activity was separated from Aeroplans Blaus and organized as CATUAV to provide UAV-based services.

• 2003

  First UAV development activity begins

  [1]CATUAVen.wikipedia.org

  The first CATUAV-related UAV prototype was developed as a new business line within Aeroplans Blaus for aerial image acquisition.

A specialist civil UAV operator and technology developer combining proprietary aircraft, mission systems, sensor integration, flight operations, and geospatial data processing for professional surveying and remote-sensing applications.

• Mini-UAV

  Atmos series

  Atmos is a lightweight electric mini-UAV family designed mainly for mapping and aerial image acquisition. The aircraft weighs less than 2 kg and can carry a payload of up to 500 g. The documented product progression runs from Atmos-1 through Atmos-6, with later versions representing successive development of the platform.

• Medium-range UAV

  Furos

  Furos is a gasoline-powered medium-range UAV intended for missions requiring greater endurance and payload capacity than a small electric aircraft. It is described as capable of flights lasting up to six hours and covering more than 400 km. Its modular central payload bay and nose-mounted equipment area support different sensors, including thermal cameras, while its design permits operation from short or unprepared landing areas.

• Long-endurance UAV

  Argos

  Argos is an evolution of the Furos platform. It weighs less than 12 kg, can carry a stated payload of up to 6.25 kg including fuel, and is described as capable of up to 14 hours of flight. Its adaptable cargo bay, foldable wings, conventional landing gear, and optional catapult launch arrangement are intended to simplify deployment where runways are short or unavailable.

• Compact electric UAV

  Mineos

  Mineos is a small electric UAV with quiet propulsion for video surveillance, photogrammetry, filming, scientific missions, and remote sensing. Documented features include GPS navigation, automatic stabilization, an emergency locator transmitter, and a foldable configuration intended to make transport and field deployment easier.

• UAV operations equipment

  Telemetry and ground-control systems

  CATUAV developed a telemetry protocol and operating infrastructure for its UAV missions. The documented system includes radio-frequency control within a stated 15 km radius, possible extension through satellite communications, towable ground stations, portable ground stations, and mission-planning and control software adapted to the company's aircraft.

• Aerial geospatial services

  Orthophoto and elevation-model services

  CATUAV processes UAV imagery into orthophotos and elevation products for mapping and GIS work. Orthophotos may use visible, near-infrared, thermal, or hyperspectral imagery, while terrain workflows can produce digital terrain models, digital surface models, and dense three-dimensional point clouds. The documented applications span agriculture, forestry, topography, mining, civil works, geology, emergency response, and environmental analysis.

• 2011Lorca earthquake aerial assessment

  Spain · Emergency response · Civil infrastructure assessment

  CATUAV deployed mini-UAVs over Lorca after the May 2011 earthquake to collect high-resolution aerial imagery and create an orthophoto for assessing and quantifying building damage.

  Outcome. The imagery supported emergency-service evaluation of damage and was presented as an early European civil-emergency use of a mini-UAV.

  Source
• SAFEDEM project

  Bosnia · Humanitarian demining · Remote sensing

  CATUAV participated in the European Space Agency's SAFEDEM project to develop systems intended to assist demining activities in Bosnia.

  Source

• 2008

  Enter a strategic agreement with AURENSISOther

  Background

  CATUAV sought to develop its commercial civil UAV activity after becoming an independent company.

  Action taken

  The company signed a strategic agreement with AURENSIS, associated with Telespazio and Finmeccanica.

  Aftermath

  Reference material links the period after the agreement with more than 100 commercial civil missions.

  Source

• 2007

  Separate the UAV activity into CATUAVStrategy

  Background

  The UAV development line created within Aeroplans Blaus had expanded beyond an internal experimental activity.

  Action taken

  CATUAV was established as a dedicated company providing services based on unmanned aircraft systems.

  Aftermath

  The company developed a civil-market operating model combining UAV technology, flight services, sensor payloads, and geospatial processing.

  Source

1. 1CATUAVen.wikipedia.org