Quantum Solutions debuts real-time water mapping payload at SPIE Future Sensing Technologies

Nov 10, 2025 - SPIE Future Sensing Technologies in Yokohama, Japan

Q.Fly® Water drone payload delivers 400x higher resolution than satellite NDMI, enabling real-time moisture insights for land and infrastructure management

Quantum Solutions will present its new Q.Fly® Water system at SPIE Future Sensing Technologies in Yokohama, Japan, a dual-band drone payload that maps surface moisture in real time and at up to 400x finer spatial detail than satellite-based methods.

Using quantum-dot shortwave infrared (SWIR) technology, Q.Fly® Water captures near-infrared and SWIR data simultaneously to calculate a Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) directly onboard the drone. The system streams live, color-coded moisture maps straight to the DJI flight controller, allowing users to instantly identify areas of moisture variation across land, crops, and infrastructure.

Knowing where water is - and where it isn’t - is vital for managing these environments. Until now, that insight has typically relied on delayed or low-resolution data. Real-time moisture mapping helps visualize irrigation performance and areas of potential drought stress, giving immediate feedback on how water moves, collects, or recedes across the landscape. With growing global attention on climate resilience and sustainable resource use, tools that enable dynamic, high-resolution water sensing are essential.

“Q.Fly® Water combines tuned quantum-dot SWIR sensors with onboard NDMI computation to deliver a live moisture view with centimetre precision,” said Alexander Bessonov, VP of Products, Imaging Systems at Quantum Solutions, who will be presenting the findings at SPIE. “It means decisions can now be made in real time, right from the controller screen.”

The payload bridges the gap between coarse satellite imagery and single-point soil sensors, providing centimetre-level NDMI maps for applications from precision agriculture and turf management to wetland monitoring and infrastructure inspection. Recent in-field testing has focused on agriculture and irrigation and even archaeology.

“Advances in quantum dot SWIR imaging technology, aerial robotics and on-edge computing are allowing us to reveal information that was previously invisible,” said Marat Lutfullin, CEO of Quantum Solutions. “Our mission is to make that hidden data accessible and practical, turning high-performance imaging into an everyday tool for those managing critical infrastructure.”

Developed and manufactured in the UK, Q.Fly® Water is built on Quantum Solutions’ proprietary quantum-dot imaging platform, designed to extend vision beyond the visible spectrum. The company’s lightweight, low-power sensors enable a new generation of UAV payloads for short-wave infrared exploration, solar inspection, and remote sensing. Weighing around 600 grams, the payload integrates with DJI Matrice drones and operates through the standard DJI Pilot interface, bringing lab-grade spectral imaging into practical field use.

Alexander Bessonov will present the paper “Real-time moisture mapping with a dual-band UAV payload” at SPIE Future Sensing Technologies on 11 November 2025 at 14:40 Japan Standard Time, Pacifico Annex Hall, Room F203.

 About Quantum Solutions

Quantum Solutions is a UK-based imaging technology company pioneering quantum-dot shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging systems that extend vision beyond the visible spectrum. Through full vertical integration from quantum-dot materials to complete UAV payloads and data analytic platforms, the company makes advanced spectral imaging practical and accessible. Its Q.Fly family of drone-based sensing systems delivers new insights across energy, environment, and industrial inspection. With headquarters in Oxford and engineering in Cambridge, Quantum Solutions is making the invisible visible.