Volz Servos and Avilus: A "Made in Germany" Partnership for High-Precision Rotor Control of the Wespe UAV

We’re proud to work with German UAV specialist Avilus in the development of its new unmanned helicopter Wespe (wasp) – a platform that truly lives up to its name. Like its biological counterpart, the UAV delivers exceptional agility, rapid directional changes, and strong endurance. Designed for demanding land-based, offshore, and naval logistics scenarios, Wespe requires steering components that respond rapidly and operate reliably under all conditions.

To meet these requirements, Avilus relies on Volz: “We use the most powerful duplex actuators from Volz Servos to equip our systems safely and reliably”, says Avilus Head of Design Daniel Dollinger.

Redundant Actuation for Mission-Critical Applications

The Volz actuators integrated into Wespe are developed specifically for flight-critical use cases where maximum reliability is essential. Their redundant two-channel design enables continuous operation even if one channel should fail. All major components – including electric motors, control and communication electronics, and power supply – are available twice. The position sensor features a three-channel architecture (2-out-of-3 voting). 

In addition, several integrated sensors provide detailed diagnostic data such as current consumption, supply voltage levels, and temperature readings. This system transparency plays a key role in enabling Wespe’s fully automated flight operations. With no direct piloting input and mission supervision only, the helicopter must always respond quickly and safely – even at ranges of up to 300 km.

Trusted Cooperation Built on German Engineering Quality

Avilus places deliberate emphasis on German manufacturing. “We are committed to the Made in Germany seal of quality”, adds Daniel Dollinger. “In Volz, we have found a trusted partner who speaks our language and understands our goals. We aim to further expand our cooperation with a view to additional platforms.

This is a vision, we at Volz Servos also share: “Volz and Avilus both produce ‘Made in Germany’, so this reflects the market trend towards secure, Western supply chains”, says CEO Phillipp Volz. “Our cooperation is characterized by open technical feedback and direct communication between the technical management teams of both companies.

Avilus and Volz