A Calgary-based company is innovating aerospace logistics with heavy-lift drone technology.
Sundog Technologies cofounder Ali Najmabadi says the goal of the company is enhancing to “lower the cost and increase the availability of aerial logistics.”
Sundog is developing technology based on advances in hybrid and electric vehicles.
“What has allowed hybrid and electric vehicles to go further and be more compact, we’re bringing that technology to the next generation of heavy-lift drones,” Najmabadi recently informed Innovate Calgary.
With a PhD from the University of Michigan, where his research focused on the hybridization of vehicles, Ali brings extensive experience working on electric powertrains.
“Our focus is the powertrain of the machine,” commented Ali. “And that’s why we’re coming from an automotive background, because there’s lots of innovation that’s been done in that field, which we can bring to aerospace.”
Sundog Technologies is also aiming to make work safer.
“The safety aspect is important,” believes Ali. “For example, if you’re dealing with forest fires, and have a helicopter close to the fumes and fire, that’s a dangerous zone to be in for the pilots and whoever else is in the helicopter.”
The company’s flagship product, slated to reach production stage in 2028, is being designed for applications where drones could help reduce the need to send helicopters and crews into difficult environments.
The modular units will feature a high-resolution RGB camera, granular 3D scanning, and radiometric thermal imaging, while a precision cable winch system can drop off payloads in remote terrain from a secure cargo enclosure.
Sundog Technologies is a member of Calgary’s Aerospace Innovation Hub, which launched in 2024 to support the sector’s regional ecosystem.
“Coming into an industry that I didn’t have any connections in was a big challenge,” Ali explains. “This is where the Aerospace Innovation Hub and Aerospace Accelerator Program has been helpful in making those connections and building a community.”
In partnership with the University of Calgary, the Aerospace Innovation Hub is now operational at the Calgary International Airport.
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