Australian drone services provider Sphere has moved production of its HubT autonomous drone infrastructure fully in-house, as part of a set of updates aimed at speeding deployment and improving consistency across customer sites.
The company said it now controls the full HubT production cycle, including enclosure fabrication, electrical design and integration, wiring, and compliance testing, with qualified electricians employed within its production team.
HubT is a plug-and-play remote data capture platform designed to support fixed-site autonomous drone operations, including infrastructure for DJI Dock 3 and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)-ready deployments.
Among the product changes, Sphere has introduced two configurations—Trailer and Skid—intended to broaden where HubT can be deployed. The Trailer option is aimed at flat but uneven terrain, while the Skid configuration is intended for concrete footings or flat, even ground.
Sphere said the two-option approach is designed to reduce civil works and site preparation compared with fixed single-configuration systems, potentially allowing deployments in more locations without additional infrastructure investment.
On compliance, Sphere said the updated system has been engineered to improve alignment with Australian standards including AS/NZS 5368:2025, AS/NZS 3001.1:2022, and AS/NZS 3001.2:2022, and has been validated through independent engineering review and audit.
The company argued that integrating design, fabrication and electrical fitment under one roof reduces handoffs and rework, and supports a build–test–certify cycle that can shorten delivery and acceptance timelines.
Sphere CEO Paris Cockinos said the shift away from contractor-based assembly was intended to give the company greater control over build schedules and compliance outcomes. “We made a deliberate decision to employ electricians in-house and manufacture HubT ourselves, rather than outsource assembly to contractors,” he said.
Sphere also linked the hardware and compliance changes to faster operational starts for customers, citing expedited regulatory approval under its Broad Area BVLOS self-assessment trial and claiming HubT can move from delivery to operational data capture in days.
Operational tracking and reporting are provided through Sphere’s Curo platform, which the company said tracks missions end-to-end from flight booking to processed data delivery, including metrics such as airtime and time-to-data.
The updates come as larger customers increase due diligence requirements for autonomous drone programs, where deployment repeatability, electrical compliance, and transparent operational reporting can affect vendor selection across sectors such as mining, utilities, infrastructure and government.
