The IQT Podcast IQT Explains: The Importance of an Agile Arsenal, Part 1
Aug 12, 2025
Lorenz Meier, co-founder and CEO of Auterion, and Rob Rainhart, COO of Auterion with a military-tech background, dive into the rapid evolution of drone technology. They discuss how their company transitioned from an open-source project to a leader in drone autonomy. The duo highlights the urgent innovations driven by conflicts like Ukraine and examines the challenges of operating in the dual-use tech space. Their insights offer a glimpse into the intersection of commercial innovation and defense, revealing how drones are reshaping military strategies.
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From Student Project To Working Autopilot
- Lorenz Meier built an open-source autopilot with 14 students while studying computer science.
- They flew successfully within a year using then-cheap smartphone-grade sensors to enable onboard vision.
Sensor Price Collapse Sparked The Drone Boom
- The smartphone sensor price collapse (≈10x) around 2007–2008 unlocked the drone revolution.
- Cheap, integrated MEMS sensors made autonomous flight affordable and scalable.
Autonomy, Not Just Flight, Was The Goal
- Lorenz prioritized autonomy and onboard computer vision over just flight control from the start.
- He built avionics, communication protocols, and ground control as tools to enable robotics capabilities.