The HX-CUX012A, HX-CUX005A, HX-CH7609A and HX-CHX600A antennas at Harxon’s XPONENTIAL 2023 booth.
Harxon has added to its helix antenna family with a series of four devices that are suitable for unmanned system applications.
HX-CUX012A is designed with extremely low profile, making it suitable for integration into UAVs, surveying and monitoring devices. It reduces the overall weight of applications, enables multipath mitigation and more.
HX-CUX005Ais asolution for integrated helix antenna applications. It is designed with the integration of a GNSS antenna and Bluetooth/Wi–Fi antenna, enabling communication and navigation without mutual interference.
HX-CH7609A is a low profile and small size housed helix antenna. Ithas comprehensive GNSS support including GPS, GLONASS,Galileo, BeiDou, as well as L-band correctionservices.HX-CH7609Afeatures centimeterphase center repeatability and high gainat a low elevation. With signal filtering and multipath rejection, it provides reliable and stable GNSS signals.
HX-CHX600A is a high-performance helix antenna thatreceives GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS, as well as L-band signals. With 4.2dBi high gain, it providessuitable tracking performance at a low elevation angle. Its low noise figure design reduces transmission interference and improves signal quality.
ST Engineering, Sumitomo Corp. and Skyports have formed a consortium to provide unmanned aircraft system (UAS) services for heavy-lift shore-to-ship parcel delivery in Singapore, home to one of the biggest ports in the world
Each consortium member will use its respective operational and technological capabilities to expand the use of UAS for deliveries of maritime essentials to anchored vessels. During a nine-month pilot program, the consortium will engage key customers for maritime UAS deliveries, with the goal of establishing a delivery network capable of carrying parcel payloads of 10 kg.
ST Engineering will provide the UAS technology using its end-to-end solution DroNet. Skyports will jointly conduct the beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight operations with ST Engineering. Sumitomo Corporation will provide go-to-market support, including its own fleet of vessels.
As an unmanned systems participant in Singapore, ST Engineering has been testing and developing autonomous solutions to enable BVLOS UAS operations for shore-to-ship delivery in close collaboration with regulators and industry partners.
Through funding support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the group completed the initial development of a UAS for shore-to-ship parcel delivery based on the DroNet solution.
Compared to the traditional form of delivery by boats, UAS operations can significantly slash response time and speed up turnaround for shore-to-ship delivery, in addition to reducing logistics costs. Replacing launch-boat delivery with a UAS service also helps reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the maritime industry’s overall efforts to operate sustainably.
The May virtual conference will feature live keynotes and education, interactive roundtable discussions and networking sessions. It also will include exhibits from leading technology companies and service providers. All sessions will be recorded and made available on-demand to attendees for 90 days following the event.
The August in-person event will feature a new program of keynote speakers and educational sessions, safely facilitated networking opportunities, and an expanded exhibit hall to experience the latest technology innovations and solutions.
The theme of Xponential 2021 is “Assured Autonomy,” which refers to the process, methodology and guiding principles for ensuring unmanned and autonomous systems will be safe and practical options, able to repeatedly perform the operations they are designed for and be seamlessly integrated into society at scale. According to AUVSI, this theme supports the event’s legacy of convening experts across markets and domains to advance the market for all things unmanned.
“As the global stage for all things unmanned, AUVSI Xponential 2021 is where you’ll join a community of end users, technologists and policymakers working together to fulfill this vision,” AUVSI said. “The series will support its mission to convene the unmanned and automated systems community to accelerate innovation and market adoption of the related technologies.”
AUVSI is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics. It represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.
Check out GPS World‘s coverage of AUVSI Xponential from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
More than 8,000 industry leaders and professionals from more than 55 countries are discussing the latest innovations in the unmanned systems market this week. Hundreds of educational sessions are providing information about the future of unmanned systems policy, regulations and technology. Also, the show’s Startup Showdown has $15,000 in cash prizes and mentorship opportunities for start-up companies.
Award-winning journalist Miles O’Brien, the science correspondent for PBS NewsHour, is hosting the event. Keynote speakers include Michael P. Huerta, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Gen. David G. Perkins, commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command; Gur Kimchi, co-founder and vice president of Amazon Prime Air; and John Chambers, executive chairman of the board of Cisco Systems.
A panel of industry thought leaders, moderated by AUVSI’s president and CEO Brian Wynne, are discussing the future of unmanned systems: U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House aviation subcommittee; Frank Kelley, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for Unmanned Systems; Marke Gibson, senior advisor for UAS integration at the FAA; and John Cavolowsky, Ph.D., director of NASA’s Airspace Systems Program.
Check back throughout the week for event updates, including news, photos, videos, tweets and more.
An illustration of Tern, Northrop Grumman’s next-generation unmanned system for maritime ISR and strike. (Image: Northrop Grumman)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research have awarded Northrop Grumman the third phase of the Tern unmanned systems program. Phase three plans include final design, fabrication and a full-scale, at-sea demonstration of the system.
Tern seeks to develop an autonomous, unmanned, long-range, global, persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and strike system intended to safely and dependably deploy and recover from small-deck naval vessels with minimal ship modifications.
Designed to operate in harsh maritime environments, Tern aims to enable greater mission capability and flexibility for surface combat vessels without the need for establishing fixed land bases or requiring scarce aircraft carrier resources.
According to DARPA, Tern would use smaller ships as mobile launch and recovery sites for medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft (UAVs). Named after the family of seabirds known for flight endurance — many species migrate thousands of miles each year — Tern aims to make it much easier, quicker and less expensive for the Department of Defense to deploy persistent airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike capabilities almost anywhere in the world.
Ideally, Tern would enable on-demand, ship-based unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations without extensive, time-consuming and irreversible ship modifications. It would provide small ships with a “mission truck” that could transport ISR and strike payloads to very long distances from the host vessel. The solution would support field-interchangeable mission packages for both overland and maritime missions. It would operate from multiple ship types and in elevated sea states.
Northrop Grumman’s Tern solution seeks to provide an innovative system that integrates mature and advanced technologies, including a distinctive propulsion solution designed to help expand global persistent ISR/strike capabilities for small-deck naval surface vessels.
“We intend to highly leverage our Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence to develop and demonstrate this type of demanding unmanned systems capability to advance the Navy’s mission,” said Chris Hernandez, vice president, research, technology and advanced design, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “We believe our unique ship-based unmanned systems experience, expertise, and lessons learned from programs including our MQ-8B/C Fire Scout, MQ-4C Triton, X-47A Pegasus and X-47B UCAS, is critical to the success of the Tern.”
“Using an innovative design that integrates vertical take-off and landing transitioning to an efficient flying-wing for cruise, our team is creating a system that we believe would achieve Tern’s revolutionary performance objectives in support of our combatant commanders,” said Ralph Starace, director, advanced design, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “Our full-scale demonstrator system is highly traceable to our operational concept to burn down risk, resulting in a compelling step forward for this game-changing, multi-mission capability,” said Bob August, Tern program manager, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
The Northrop Grumman Tern team includes its wholly owned subsidiary Scaled Composites, as well as General Electric (GE) Aviation, AVX Aircraft Company and Moog.
Lockheed Martin has demonstrated its ability to integrate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations into the National Airspace System (NAS) using its prototype UAS Traffic Management (UTM) capabilities.
During the demonstration on Nov. 18, the Stalker XE UAS provided data and a precise geolocation to the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter, which conducted water drops to extinguish a fire, while the UTM tracked the UAS operations and communicated with Air Traffic Control in real time.
The Stalker UAS directs the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter to conduct water drops at a precise location to extinguish a fire. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
“This demonstration represents the path forward for flying UAS in the NAS using Flight Service-based UTM capabilities to extend the technology and systems that air traffic controllers know and understand,” said Paul Engola, vice president, Transportation & Financial Solutions. “We were able to successfully modify the existing K-MAX and Stalker XE ground control software to connect to the UTM services and conduct the firefighting mission.”
For more than 80 years, manned aircraft have supported firefighting missions during daylight hours. Because unmanned K-MAX can fly day and night, in all weather, its insertion into firefighting operations offers the potential to triple the amount of time ground firefighters can receive aerial support.
The Stalker XE UAS worked in tandem with K-MAX to identify hot spots and fire intensity with its electro-optical, infrared camera. Its stable, high-definition imaging capabilities enable day and night operations. Powered by a ruggedized solid oxide fuel cell, Stalker XE achieves more than eight hours of flight endurance.
The Stalker and K-MAX operated in collaboration with a prototype UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system, which provides essential capabilities to enable safe UAS operations. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
UAV Solutions will display its new fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2015 show, to be held May 5-7 in Atlanta.
In booth 1109 the company will introduce the Talon 120LE, a lightweight hand-launched air vehicle, and the Sidewinder, a high altitude, multi-fuel, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) asset. The Intruder UAS, a multiple intelligence gathering platform with a gross take-off weight of 850 pounds, will be located in booth 2303.
With a wingspan of 12.5 feet, the Talon 120LE is a 16-pound electric UAS that may fly for nearly 2.5 hours. The system was created with open architecture software and hardware components for future flexibility. The company recommends the Talon 120LE for inspecting crops, surveilling power lines or conducting search and rescue missions. Its payload capacity is 2.5 pounds.
The jet powered Sidewinder UAS flies at high altitudes and operates in a low vibration environment ideal for ISR payloads. The Sidewinder can use various heavy fuels including diesel, kerosene and Jet A. It has a wingspan of 16 feet and a payload capacity of 10 pounds.
UAV Solutions’ new Intruder is capable of operating at higher density altitudes. It also is able to collect information via satellite communication, signals intelligence, communications intelligence and imagery intelligence. It has retractable landing gear, and the agnostic center-of-gravity mounted payload location accommodates up to 100 pounds.
Along with the UAS the company is showing, it also will feature its multi rotor UAS — Phoenix 60, Phoenix 30 and Phoenix 15 – as well as the Dragon View camera sensor.
Dragon View sensors can be integrated onto unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), antenna towers, buildings or other structures to provide day and thermal imagery, video recordings, object tracking and geolocation data. The sensors are lightweight, mechanically and digitally stabilized gimbals with electro-optical and infrared cameras.
They also can easily be mounted onto UAVs, antenna towers and other structures for police organizations.
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