Source: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/business...

Dmytro Franchuk, deputy head of the robotics lab and its key drone engineer, says production is based on 3D printers that use up 20 kilograms of plastic daily. Lab's 30 drones, paid for by volunteers, are actively used at the war front now.

As the situation in the Donbas deteriorates, with hopes for peace resting on a shaky Feb. 12 agreement in Minsk, Belarus, more drones are needed.

Franchuk's drones are considered the lightest ones. They can capture images from a maximum distance of 2.5 kilometers and stay in the air up to 20 minutes.

Their average cost is $1,200, while the accompanying equipment for the drone makes the total cost $3,000. A large part of the drone's cost is human capital used for the production, testing and teaching how to use the gadget.

Compared with the regular price of advanced drones reaching up to $30,000, those developed by the robotics lab in Kyiv are much more affordable.