5 Questions to… René Worms, Head of Global Sales, Atmos UAV

Atmos UAV recently announced the appointment of René Worms as its head of global sales. Worms, a well-known strategist and geospatial expert, will work on the international expansion of the company's VTOL UAV. 'GIM International' asked Worms five questions to find out more about his new position and his vision on the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or 'drones') in the land surveying industry.

You have extensive experience in the geospatial business, having previously worked at Topcon Positioning Group and Leica Geosystems. How do you intend to put your experience to good use at Atmos UAV?

Atmos UAV wants to distribute its Marlyn vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV worldwide in the geospatial market segment. Over the past 20-plus years, I have built up a global network of distributors and partners with expertise in this segment and that will help to fuel our objective of setting up a global distribution network.

What made you decide to join Atmos UAV?

I heard about Atmos and its Marlyn drone while discussing the future of new technology in the geospatial market with people in my network. I was aware that the UAV technology in the geospatial market is challenging, and I decided I wanted to know more about Atmos and its mission and goals. After a few conversations with the founders I was convinced that Atmos is ticking the right boxes and is well informed about surveyors’ needs.

What is your vision on the role of UAVs in the mapping and surveying profession?

The Marlyn drone is a flying surveying instrument rather than a drone with a surveying sensor. In other words, the UAV will become a commodity product in the the mapping and surveying profession. It just needs to overcome the natural hesitation to adopt that is associated with any new technology. For example, 3D scanners and mobile mapping systems experienced a similar situation when they were launched but they are now considered as standard survey tools.

How do Atmos UAV’s mapping solutions distinguish it from other UAV companies?

Atmos is a manufacturer of fixed-wing drones aimed at surveying/mapping applications. Therefore we have embedded the needs of the surveyor in our instrument and software. As an example, the Marlyn has VTOL technology and the highest wind resistance in the geospatial drone market, which results in more operational hours and greater ease of use for our customers.

What are Atmos UAV’s ambitions for the coming years?

One is to become the top-of-mind surveying drone supplier with our flagship model, Marlyn. Another ambition is to continue developing our products together using our customers’ feedback to stay in the leading technology position. And thirdly, to set up a worldwide network of business partners and distributors to provide a great service experience to all customers around the world.