Starling 2 Max GPS-denied Development Drone
↪ Note: There are performance issues with GPS on the current iteration of this design, an updated GPS is in development.
Starling 2 Max
Product Description
Starling 2 Max is a VOXL 2-powered, NDAA-compliant development drone built for computer vision-based, long-range dead reckoning with a 500 g payload capacity. Powered by VOXL 2, our Blue UAS Framework autopilot, and supercharged by the VOXL SDK, Starling 2 Max flies for approximately 55 minutes and is our flagship development platform for both indoor and outdoor flight.
GNSS Performance Notice
Please review this notice before purchase.
On the current revision of Starling 2 Max, GNSS performance does not yet meet our target specification. Customers should expect longer time to first fix and reduced position accuracy in GPS-aided outdoor flight modes compared with our other airframes. An updated GNSS design is in active development, and any change will be published as a Product Change Notification.
This affects satellite-aided navigation only. Starling 2 Max is built around VOXL 2 and its multi-camera Visual Inertial Odometry, so GPS-denied navigation, SLAM and visual obstacle avoidance are the platform’s primary means of position estimation and are unaffected. Long-range dead reckoning on Starling 2 Max is computer-vision based by design.
If your application depends on precise GNSS, please contact us before ordering so we can advise on current status and expected performance for your use case. Our EMI mitigation guide for GNSS documents the integration practices we apply and recommend.
Product Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Autopilot | VOXL 2 (Qualcomm QRB5165: 8 cores up to 3.091 GHz, 8 GB LPDDR5, 15 TOPS AI) |
| Image Sensors | C28: Dual IMX412 (12MP), Dual AR0144 (1MP tracking) C29: Dual IMX412, Dual AR0144, plus ToF |
| Take-off Weight | 566 g |
| Payload Capacity | 500 g — affects flight time; total take-off weight ~930 g |
| Flight Time | ~55 minutes with Amprius cells (~40 minutes with Li-Ion) |
| Max Speed | 15 m/s cruise, 20 m/s dash |
| Wind Tolerance | Gusts to 15 m/s |
| Service Ceiling | 4,000 m MSL |
| Motors | 2203.5, 1500 kv |
| Propellers | 180 mm tri-blade |
| Frame | 3 mm carbon fiber |
| ESC | ModalAI 4-in-1 Mini ESC (power module integrated) |
| GPS | u-blox M10 |
| R/C Receiver | 915 MHz ELRS or 2.4 GHz Ghost Atto |
| Datalink | Wi-Fi: Alfa Networks AWUS036EACS (FCC ID 2AB878811) |
| Battery | Sony VTC6 3000 mAh 2S, or any 2S 18650 Li-Ion pack with XT30 Two 2S packs required, wired in series for 4S — max voltage 16.8 V |
| Dimensions | Diagonal 512 mm (prop to prop) Width 450 mm prop to prop / 260 mm motor to motor Length 380 mm prop to prop / 190 mm motor to motor Height 120 mm |
Software Features
- Visual Inertial Odometry for navigation in GPS-denied environments
- TFLite neural networks for object classification, detection and other models
- Open-source software: OpenCV, ROS 2, Docker, integrated PX4 flight controller
- Full VOXL SDK
Built-in Connectivity Options
- IP datalink: Wi-Fi, Microhard, 4G LTE, 5G
- R/C: Ghost Atto (2.4 GHz) or ExpressLRS (915 MHz)
Technical Details
User Guide (Hardware Overview)
What's Included
Starling 2 Max is configured by SKU. Choose a camera, R/C, modem and kit configuration below.
Camera Configurations
| Camera Config | High-resolution | Tracking | ToF | Thermal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C28 | Dual 12MP RGB | Dual 1MP Tracking | No | No |
| C29 | Dual 12MP RGB | Dual 1MP Tracking | Yes | No |
| Future Capability — No ETA | Dual 12MP RGB | Dual 1MP Tracking | No | FLIR Lepton |
R/C Configurations
| R/C Config | Receiver | Transmitter (if applicable) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| -T9 | Ghost Atto | FPV.ctrl UberLite | 2.4 GHz |
| -T8 | ModalAI M0184 ELRS RX | iFlight Commando 8 | 915 MHz |
Modem Configurations
| Modem Config | Description |
|---|---|
| -M36-T9 | Wi-Fi and Ghost Atto |
| -M3-T9 | Microhard |
| -M11-T9 | Microhard pMDDL2450 and Ghost Atto |
| -M20-T9 | 4G LTE (North America) and Ghost Atto |
| -M24-T9 | 5G and Ghost Atto |
| -M36-T8 | Wi-Fi and ModalAI M0184 ELRS RX |
Kit Configurations
| Kit Config | Description |
|---|---|
| -K0 | Drone only |
| -K1 | Drone and battery pack |
| -K2 | Drone with battery pack and controller |
| -K3 | Drone with case, battery pack, wall power supply and controller |
Additional Items Not Included
- LiPo charger — we recommend the ISDT Q6 Retro charger/discharger
- Additional 2S 18650 battery packs (two required per flight, wired in series)
- Ground control station laptop or tablet running QGroundControl
Compatible Products
| Product | Compatible? |
|---|---|
| VOXL ESC Mini (M0129) | ✅ installed as the flight ESC |
| ModalAI M0184 ELRS receiver | ✅ -T8 configurations |
| Microhard pMDDL2450 add-on | ✅ -M11 configurations |
| 4G LTE / 5G modem add-ons | ✅ -M20 / -M24 configurations |
| M0161 / M0166 image sensor modules | ✅ factory-installed per camera config |
| Starling 2 replacement parts | ❌ use Starling 2 Max replacement parts — frame, motors and skids differ |
| Third-party 2S 18650 packs with XT30 | ✅ two required, series-wired |
Export Information
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| ECCN | EAR99 |
| Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Code | 8802.11.0190 |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Radio Frequencies Used | Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz pMDDL2450: 2.4 GHz 4G & 5G: worldwide cellular frequencies R/C with -T8 in SKU: 915 MHz R/C with -T9 in SKU: 2.4 GHz |
| RoHS Compliant | Yes |
Technical specifications
-
Autonomy
- Powered by VOXL 2 companion computer
- Integrated Qualcomm QRB5165 premium tier chipset onboard: 8 cores up to 3.091 GHz, 8GB LPDDR5
- VOXL ESC Mini 4-in-1
- Open-source software: OpenCV, ROS2, Docker, PX4
- Integrated WiFi, Ghost Atto or ELRS
-
Perception
- Dual AR0144 1MP fisheye CV image sensor for visual inertial odometry (VIO)
- Dual IMX412 12MP color image sensor for streaming, image capture & video recording
- FLIR Lepton for thermal tracking (optional)
-
Robust NDAA-Compliant Design
- 500g take-off weight
- 322mm diagonal SWaP-optimized carbon fiber airframe
- 180mm folding propellers
- 55+ minutes of flight time
- 500g of additional payload capacity
Compare VOXL Drones
Price: from $2,949.99
Size: 220mm diagonal
Takeoff Weight: 280g
Flight Time: >40 minutes
Compute: QRB5165
Flight Controller: PX4
Image Sensors: Triple AR0144 fisheye CV image sensor, single IMX412 color image sensor, PMD ToF, FLIR Lepton (optional)
Connectivity: WiFi, Ghost Atto or ELRS
Price: from $2,999.99
Size: 322mm diagonal
Takeoff Weight: 500g
Flight Time: >55 minutes
Compute: QRB5165
Flight Controller: PX4
Image Sensors: Dual AR0144 fisheye CV image sensor, dual IMX412 color image sensor, FLIR Lepton (optional)
Connectivity: WiFi, Microhard, 5G, Ghost Atto or ELRS