Tag: AeroVironment

Launchpad: Delivery drones, scanners, lidar and more

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the January-February 2026 issue of GPS World magazine.

Autonomous

1. Delivery Drones

Volatus deploys medical supplies in Canada

Image: Trimble

Volatus Aerospace has integrated the Trimble PX-1 RTX solution into its commercial delivery drone service to achieve accurate and robust positioning and heading. The Trimble module provides Volatus’ clients with a turnkey solution for highly accurate aerial data acquisition and fully remote drone operations in real-world missions, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The PX-1 RTX uses Trimble’s CenterPoint RTX corrections along with compact, high-performance GNSS-inertial hardware to deliver real-time, centimeter-level positioning and highly precise inertial-derived true heading measurements. This technology reduces operational risks associated with poor sensor performance or magnetic interference by providing enhanced positioning redundancy.

Volatus Aerospace, Trimble

2. Defense Drone

For border protection and long-range surveillance missions

Image: CopterPIX

The ERE95 Mini by CopterPIX operational platform is fully capable of GNSS-denied missions and integrates a long-range, anti-jamming communication system supporting distances of more than 20 km. It has an endurance of 2 hours and can carry up to 5 kg of payload for up to 1 hour. It also has integrated daylight and thermal imaging for advanced surveillance. With a fully foldable frame, the platform collapses into a backpack-sized kit, making it suitable for rapid mobility and field operations. Its modular “puzzle” architecture allows quick adaptation of SDR modules, optical payloads, and navigation solutions, enabling mission-specific configurations. To support rapid field deployment, the ERE95 Mini features a mechanical and electrical quick-connect interface, allowing operators to switch payloads in seconds and maintain continuous operational readiness across all missions.

CopterPIX

3. Visual Navigation

Integrated into long-endurance unmanned aircraft system

Image: AeroVironment

AeroVironment has integrated its visual navigation system (VNS) kit with the Puma Long Endurance (LE) small unmanned aircraft system, delivering GNSS-denied navigation capability. The VNS kit uses advanced computer vision and onboard processing to deliver precise, GNSS-independent navigation. Using a suite of downward-facing sensors, cameras and onboard computing, the VNS kit performs visual inertial odometry to capture and analyze terrain imagery, estimating true aircraft position in real time. The system fuses continuous visual data from the cameras with motion inputs from onboard inertial sensors to calculate precise position, velocity and orientation — allowing the aircraft to know where it is and where it is going when GNSS is not available. It automatically transitions between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes with zero pilot input, ensuring uninterrupted mission continuity in contested environments.

AeroVironment

4. Counter-Drone Radar

Low power, small footprint setup for close-airspace awareness

Photo: MatrixSpace

The Portable 360 Radar is a rugged, easily transportable radar kit that delivers reliable close-airspace awareness with panoramic coverage for rapid-response counter-drone operations, from safeguarding stadiums and large public gatherings to border security and battlespaces. The MatrixSpace platform unifies threat awareness across multiple networked Portable 360 Radar systems and other sensors, without compromising local operation. By combining AI edge processing with MatrixSpace AiCloud Enterprise software, central command centers get an enhanced common operating picture and deep airspace activity analytics to assure public safety.

MatrixSpace

Surveying and Mapping

1. Laser RTK Receiver

Reliable in complex and GNSS-limited environments

Photo: SatLab

The SatLab SL8 Laser RTK GNSS receiver combines dual cameras, GNSS, an IMU and visible laser technology to make surveying faster and easier. With non-contact measurement, image-assisted targeting, CAD live-view stakeout, and a built-in LoRa radio. It ensures smooth, reliable work even in complex or GNSS-limited environments. The SL8 achieves 2 cm accuracy within 10 meters and enables efficient data collection across bridges, tunnels, riverbanks, and other sites where traditional GNSS methods are restricted. It features image-assisted targeting through SatSurv software, displaying laser points directly on real-time images for quick and precise aiming. Its automotive-grade IMU requires no manual calibration or initialization and enhances measurement accuracy by up to 40% in GNSS-challenged areas. A built-in multi-protocol LoRa transceiver provides stable transmission beyond 15 km and compatibility with multiple RTK brands. The integrated CAD and visual stakeout functions combine live imagery with CAD data, allowing users to visualize target points on site and increase layout efficiency by up to 50%.

SatLab Geosolutions

2. Utility Mapping

Partnership aims to provide precise maps

Image: Getty Images / iStock / SummerParadive

A complete precision mapping solution for the utility and critical infrastructure industries worldwide is the goal of a partnership between ProStar Holdings and Tersus GNSS. The partnership will integrate Tersus’s survey-grade GNSS receivers with ProStar’s PointMan Underground Utility Mapping Software, providing an affordable, field-ready solution. The partnership will use ProStar’s LinQD open API integration platform, which is designed to enable seamless interoperability between emerging technologies and legacy systems, creating a robust global ecosystem for geospatial intelligence, uniting equipment manufacturers and service providers under the initiative.

ProStar Holdings, Tersus GNSS

3. Handheld Scanner

Designed for mobile mapping and reality capture

(Image: Tersus GNSS)

The MVP S1 RTK-SLAM handheld 3D laser scanner uses GNSS through an AI-driven RTK-SLAM workflow, as well as lidar data with imagery from dual 48-megapixel panoramic cameras. The combination provides survey-grade results in both GNSS-denied and open environments. The system achieves centimeter-level accuracy outdoors and maintains performance indoors or underground through SLAM processing. TimeSync 3.0 synchronizes the hardware, aligning sensor data at the microsecond level and supporting consistent datasets and reliable post-processing. A mobile application provides users with real-time feedback, including previews of colorized point clouds while scanning, as well as basic scan reports on site. This feature helps operators verify data completeness and quality before leaving the field, reducing the need for repeat visits. The MVP S1 supports 3D gaussian splatting (3DGS), enabling creation of textured, photorealistic 3D models. This capability is useful for building information modeling, construction progress monitoring, underground surveys, forestry analysis and industrial site documentation.

Tersus GNSS

4. GPR Systems for UAVs

Enable extended subsurface mapping

(Photo: SPH Engineering)

The MALÅ GeoDrone 600 and Zond Aero 600 NG are two new high-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) systems for UAVs. They significantly enhance high-resolution subsurface investigations with drones, supporting applications in engineering surveys, utility mapping, archaeology, environmental studies and geophysical research. They enable surveyors to capture consistent, high-quality subsurface data in areas difficult, slow or unsafe to access with traditional ground instruments. Operating at 600 MHz, the antennas offer a balance between penetration depth and fine near-surface resolution. Typical penetration from the drone is up to 2 meters, depending on surface conditions, while SPH Engineering’s True Terrain Following ensures stable antenna height to maintain data quality and repeatability.

SPH Engineering

5. Visual RTK System

For high-precision surveying, photo surveys and 3D modeling

Image: Aurora Navigation

The Astra1 Mobile Visual RTK is a professional-grade GNSS receiver engineered to redefine high-precision mobile data acquisition. It is built to meet the demand for highly portable, reliable, high-precision tools that simplify complex field operations. At 60 grams, the Astra1 is an ultra-compact solution designed to deliver reliable, centimeter-level positioning and advanced 3D mapping capabilities through seamless integration with a smartphone and the proprietary Anypos App. Accuracy is RTK 8mm+1PPM horizontally, 15mm+1PPM vertically, photo survey <4 cm (2-15 m distance). The Astra1 allows users to capture photos with precise RTK coordinates, enabling the creation of accurate 3D models for detailed construction verification and digital twinning applications.

Aurora Navigation

Transportation

1. 5G Cellular Module

Automotive-grade module integrates dual-band GNSS

The AR588MA is a 5G-advanced (5G-A) automotive-grade cellular module that integrates dual-band GNSS supporting both L1 and L5 bands with up to 30 Hz output. Based on MediaTek’s latest-generation MT2739 platform, the AR588MA supports 5G-A communication technology and complies with the 3GPP R18 standard protocol. It features both NB-NTN and NR-NTN satellite communication capabilities and supports dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) technology, offering improved stability and reliability on cellular connections. It also includes intelligent driving scenario recognition. Designed in compliance with the AEC-Q104 Grade 2 automotive standard, it delivers fast, stable connectivity and reliable security for in-vehicle communication and benefits on-roof applications, such as smart antennas for automotive, with higher-temperature support.

Quectel Wireless Solutions

2. Heave Accuracy

IMU upgrade accounts for maritime wave motion

A firmware upgrade to the Xsens Sirius and Xsens Avior IMUs delivers centimeter-level vertical displacement measurements for marine stabilization and control systems. The new Heave feature enables real-time stabilization and wave compensation in a wide range of marine applications. Marine engineers can access comprehensive motion data — roll, pitch, yaw and heave — from a single compact sensor, eliminating the need for external processing or oversized tactical-grade systems while maintaining the precision required for offshore platforms, vessels, docking systems, marine robots, buoys and surveying equipment.

Xsens

3. Lidar with Camera

Compact module reduces OEM integration complexity

Image: Innoviz

The InnovizThree is fully colored long-range lidar with camera that creates a compact sensor-fusion module designed to reduce OEM integration complexity. The solution combines lidar and RGB sensing in a single compact perception module, purpose-built for behind-the-windshield installations, drones, micro-robotics and humanoids. The consolidation of an RGB camera inside InnovizThree reinforces Innoviz’s commitment to scalable, OEM-friendly sensor-fusion perception solutions designed for series production and long-term deployment, with the potential to enable faster deployment and cost savings. The RGB sensing capabilities are factory-aligned with the lidar, enabling precise and consistent visual-to-lidar geometry across production units. This alignment, combined with hardware-synchronized capture, will enable reliable multi-modal sensor-fusion data correlation while reducing calibration effort during vehicle integration.

Innoviz Technologies

4. AGX Platform

High-integrity GNSS integration for autonomous driving

Image: Getty Images / iStock / FlashMovie

Swift Navigation is collaborating with Nvidia to enable a scalable, cost-effective approach to autonomous driving by integrating the Nvidia Drive AGX platform with Swift’s globally referenced, centimeter-accurate GNSS positioning. Swift Navigation offloads absolute localization to the GNSS sensor stack using its Swift Automotive Suite. The suite is a complete, modular software solution for safe, high-integrity precise vehicle localization that combines the centimeter-level Skylark Precise Positioning Service with the Starling positioning engine, software that fuses raw GNSS data and corrections with IMU and wheel odometry to deliver high-integrity, centimeter-accurate positioning (PVT). By using Swift’s high-precision stack for lane-level positioning, the vehicle’s optical sensors focus on obstacle detection and safety, lowering system cost and complexity.

Swift Navigation

5. 5G GNSS Antennas

Suitable for fleet and rail applications

Image: Sinclair Technologies

Sinclair’s new SM 5G Family Tier features the SM714 and SM2601 series antennas. The multi-band, multi-port antennas are engineered to deliver superior connectivity, reliability and versatility for GNSS and other mission-critical wireless transportation applications. The SM714 is a 4-in-1 low-profile customizable transit antenna that combines 5G/LTE, Wi-Fi and tri-band GNSS coverage in a single compact form. Supporting 617–5925 MHz, it enables seamless operation across all major 5G and LTE bands. It is suitable for vehicles, fleet systems and connected mobility applications requiring a discreet, high-performance solution. The SM2601D is a 5-in-1 low-profile customizable antenna that features five independent ports: one for PTC (219–223 MHz), one for Wi-Fi (2400–6000 MHz), one for GNSS, and two full-band cellular ports (694–2700 MHz) that support diversity and MIMO operation for multi-radio systems. This dual-cell configuration offers greater throughput, flexibility, and redundancy in complex communication environments.

Sinclair Technologies

6. Lidar Platform

High-precision depth sensing and real-time
velocity measurement

Image: Voyant Photonics

New versions of the Carbon lidar platform add 32-line and 64-line variants for compact, cost-sensitive and compute-limited systems. The new models complement existing 128-line configurations and are optimized for industrial autonomy, robotics, drones and smart infrastructure applications. They offer lower data rates and simplified integration while maintaining core FMCW advantages including velocity measurement, interference immunity and high dynamic range. With line resolutions spanning 32, 64 and 128, original equipment manufacturers and system integrators can tailor performance, bandwidth and compute load to specific use cases, from robotics and automated guided vehicles to drones and embedded edge platforms. The Carbon family’s silicon-photonics architecture integrates beam steering and coherent detection on a single photonic chip. The new variants include high-precision depth sensing and real-time velocity measurement, exceptional ambient light immunity and compact design for industrial and mobile environments.

Voyant Photonics

7. Base Station

For automotive track and varied environment testing

Image: VBOX

The NTRIP Base Station from VBOX Automotive combines a multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS engine with a built-in networked transport of RTCM via internet protocol (NTRIP) server. The equipment transmits real-time kinematic corrections over radio and cellular or Wi-Fi networks, supporting accurate real-time positioning across wider areas in varied environments compared to traditional radio-only systems. The base station launches in three models, with specifications designed to fit users’ needs. All systems combine quad-constellation, dual-frequency GNSS technology with built-in cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity. Compatible with VBOX 4, VBOX 3iS and external GNSS rovers, the new NTRIP Base Station supports both MSM4 and MSM7 RTCM formats, has up to 24 hours of battery life and is rated to IP67 to handle the demands of long outdoor test sessions. Models include Internal GNSS antenna and 2.4 GHz radio (quick to deploy for short-range applications, for temporary or mobile testing); Internal GNSS antenna, no radio (compact and simple, suitable for NTRIP or semi-permanent installations with external high-power radio masts); and External GNSS antenna, no radio (optimized for permanent installations with tripod-mounted antennas for maximum satellite visibility, supporting NTRIP or external radio).

VBOX Automotive

February 20, 2026
AeroVironment expands Puma visual navigation system kit to Puma LE

AeroVironment has integrated its visual navigation system (VNS) kit with the Puma Long Endurance (LE) small unmanned aircraft system, delivering GNSS-denied navigation capability to ensure mission success.

First introduced in 2022 for the Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE, the VNS kit uses advanced computer vision and onboard processing to deliver precise, GNSS-independent navigation. Its integration into Puma LE now extends this capability across the full Puma family for greater flexibility and resilience in degraded or denied environments.

“Assured navigation is critical to the mission, especially as GNSS becomes an increasingly vulnerable resource,” said Jason Hendrix, Vice President of Small Uncrewed Systems for AV. “By fusing visual and inertial data in real time, the system enables uninterrupted flight paths, accurate geolocation, and mission continuity in unreliable GNSS regions.”

Using a suite of downward-facing sensors, cameras and onboard computing, the VNS kit performs visual inertial odometry (VIO) to capture and analyze terrain imagery, estimating true aircraft position in real time. The system fuses continuous visual data from the cameras with motion inputs from onboard inertial sensors to calculate precise position, velocity, and orientation — allowing the aircraft to know where it is and where it is going when GNSS is not available. It automatically transitions between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes with zero pilot input, ensuring uninterrupted mission continuity in contested environments.

In September, AV announced several upgrades to the Puma LE platform that include the integration of a Laser Target Designator and the release of the Universal Gimbal Kit, enhancements that evolve Puma LE beyond ISR into a cutting-edge precision-engagement system.

“Every upgrade to Puma LE, including the addition of the VNS kit and our new laser designator and gimbal capabilities, is driven by one goal: giving the warfighter greater confidence, flexibility, and capability,” said Trace Stevenson, president of Autonomous Systems at AV. “These recent releases are a great example of AV constantly evolving our platforms to ensure they are at the forefront of technology and providing best in class capability to the warfighter.”

The VNS Kit is designed as an add-on option for new Puma 3 AE or Puma LE system orders and as a retrofit kit allowing existing Puma 2 AE, Puma 3 AE, and Puma LE customers to upgrade fielded systems. The compact two-piece add-on installs into existing Pumas with minimal impact on performance and fits within the standard Puma cases for efficient mission packout. The standard Puma LE system weighs 23.8 pounds and offers 6.5 hours of endurance, a 60-kilometer range, is inaudible at 500 feet and features tool-free payload swaps for seamless transitions between intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and other mission sets.

December 11, 2025
Aerovironment’s visual-based navigation system takes over for GPS

AeroVironment’s Puma is hand-launched. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Frank Cordoba/U.S. Marine Corps)

AeroVironment Inc. has introduced Puma VNS, a visual-based navigation system for its Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS). The system enables navigation across GPS-denied environments.

Puma VNS will receive frequent software and hardware updates, providing operators with advanced navigation capabilities, features and functionality. The system will also enable integration of future autonomy capabilities.

“Puma VNS gives operators an unprecedented advantage in the battlefield,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for SUAS. “Operators now can execute missions with more confidence in GPS-contested environments with the system’s new navigational capabilities.”

VNS uses a suite of downward-looking sensors to gather imagery data and track features on the ground, as well as an embedded computing module to process and determine the precise location of an aircraft while in flight. The system automatically transitions to and from GPS-denied navigation mode without operator input.

Puma VNS is available as an add-on option for new Puma 3 AE system orders and as a retrofit kit for fielded Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE systems.

September 25, 2022
US security package for Ukraine includes Phoenix Ghost drones

On April 21, the Pentagon announced an $800 million security package for Ukraine defense, including 121 tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) dubbed Phoenix Ghost drones.

According to the Pentagon, the drones were rapidly developed by the Air Force specifically to meet Ukraine’s requirements. The Ghost drones are manufactured by Aevex Aerospace and have similar capabilities to the single-use “kamikaze” Switchblade UAS from AeroVironment.

The U.S. is also sending at least 300 more Switchblade drones, according to CNBC, though which model has not been revealed. The 300 variant is designed to strike small targets. It can fit in a rucksack, weighs a little more than 5 pounds and has a range of 10 miles. The 600 version of the weapon is designed to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles. It weighs slightly more than 120 pounds and has a range of more than 40 miles.

AeroVironment is also donating more than 100 Quantix Recon UAS and operational training services to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and territorial forces. Using the actionable intelligence gathered by the Quantix Recon, operators can conduct quick mission planning and verification to help keep Ukrainian ground forces out of harm’s way. Delivery of the Quantix Recon UAS is independent of other AeroVironment tactical missile systems and UAS provided to Ukraine by the United States.

The Phoenix Ghost drone is similar to the single-use Switchblade drone from AeroVironment. (Photo: AeroVironment)

April 22, 2022
The Mars helicopter: What’s it up to now?

The Ingenuity UAV is still buzzing around on Mars, well past its anticipated evaluation/test lifetime, and is still providing intriguing video and photographic coverage of the surface. Having established that it can fly in the Martian atmosphere and having achieved all its own test objectives, its role is now that of a “pathfinder” — in the truest form of the word — scouting out routes for its big brother Perseverance rover.

The principle objective of the mission remains the search for signs of life, and this is now being performed by the SUV-sized land-bound ground unmanned vehicle (GUV) rover. The project is managed by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Since our earlier stories covered the phenomenal achievements of the little 2 Kg UAV, it’s reasonable that we provide details of its development and design, largely by JPL and AeroVironment.

Talking with the Ben Pipenberg, the AeroVironment engineering lead for the Ingenuity program, it was clear that the company’s role had been to bring its extensive unmanned experience to the requirements for flight on the red planet. It turns out flying high-altitude pseudo-satellite unmanned aircraft at up to 90,000 feet teaches you a lot about vehicle dynamics in very thin air, and AeroVironment has been doing that for many years. The company developed Ingenuity’s rotor and rotor-drive systems, and the minimal weight structure of the vehicle.

JPL developed the flight-control systems, power system, telecoms and electronics that enabled communications, navigation, guidance, video and control of Ingenuity on Mars.

Mars is cold, especially at night, reaching as low as –148 °F. It has few clouds, is a long way from the sun, and has a very thin atmosphere. When JPL decided to use mostly off-the-shelf components, the added task of keeping the electronics warm using minimal power became absolutely essential. Power is provided by a lithium-ion battery pack with its own heaters and temperature control, which is recharged by a small solar photo-electric panel mounted on the top of the vehicle above the rotors.

Integrity’s lithium-ion battery, heaters and temperature sensors. (Diagram: Aerovironment)

Principle vehicle elements. (Diagram: Aerovironment)

The electronics are carried in the electronics core module (ECM), which is mounted inside the insulated box and mechanically attached to a central, hollow, structural tube, on which the flight motors, rotors and landing legs are all attached. The electronics box has a 3-cm gap between the skin and the ECM, which is filled with inert, insulating carbon dioxide gas — heat retention and power management are the basics for survival on the Mars surface. Keeping the batteries above –15 °C is the design goal for the temperature control system, which also enables the electronics and sensors to survive and operate.

Principle vehicle elements. (Diagram: Aerovironment)

The avionics and interface boards. (Diagram: Aerovironment)

The avionics boards are wrapped around the heated battery-pack with the battery interface board at the bottom, along with the FPGA/flight controller board (FFB), the NAV/servo controller board (NSB), the telecom board (TCB) and the helicopter power board (HPB) mounted vertically. The navigation camera (NC) and the return-to-Earth (RTE) camera are both slung from the front, lower (direction of flight) side of the ECM, peering through a clear window in the insulated box.

The FPGA basically runs the show, managing most tasks, especially two redundant flight controller microprocessors. An additional CPU controls power through several interfaces to the vehicle systems, including the motors driving the rotors. The CPU also runs control software that initiates mode changes based on external commands, and guidance/navigation — using data from the inertial measurement unit (IMU), the nav camera and altimeter — limiting position, velocity and attitude drift. The telecom module manages communications and some power functions, and the power board manages vehicle power.

Off-the-shelf sensors are interfaced to the FPGA and include the nav camera, two dual redundant three-axis micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) IMUs, an inclinometer for IMU calibration on the surface, and an altimeter. These sensor outputs are used to produce a velocity solution, derived helicopter position and attitude. The nav camera provides images compared frame by frame to stored topography to derive an estimate of vehicle velocity while airborne.

The FPGA is responsible for flight and attitude control, waypoint guidance, maintenance of system time, running a motor-control loop and fault management, as well as providing power management and some thermal control. The FPGA also manages multiple redundant interfaces between the various subsystems, and telemetry communications back to the rover during flight. It also operates the two redundant flight control processors, determining when to switch from one to the other, and provides stored critical data to each processor whenever power is cycled.

As anyone involved in space electronics knows, one of the main design constraints for Integrity was to minimize the effects of single-event upsets (SEUs). SEUs are largely due to cosmic ray effects on electronic components that are not specifically hardened against them. This means most of the electronics used on this particular unmanned vehicle may be susceptible to SEU failures, even though MIL-SPEC, extended-temperature-range components were used wherever possible. Nevertheless, there are dual-redundant IMUs, so one is kept on standby, and the key FPGA is MIL-SPEC, radiation tolerant and has three parallel, duplicated channels. Other components were pre-selected for tolerance to latch-up; a current monitor helps detect such latch-ups with power cycling used to clear these events.

Meanwhile, on Mars Integrity completed its 13^th flight on Sept. 4, taking photos toward the southwest of the South Seítah region of Jezero Crater, and flying slower and lower than in previous expeditions. The object was to gather more detail of raised ridges and outcrops from a different angle than the 12^th flight — an area in which the science team may have particular interest. It’s possible that the Perseverance rover may soon find itself exploring this area.

Integrity photographs the South Séítah region during its 12th flight. (Photo: NASA/JPL)

As unremarkable as this scene might appear to us laymen, there is a ridgeline in the middle of the above shot where the team may soon decide to send Perseverance to dig, drill and scoop.

Integrity takes a shadow “selfie” during its13th flight. (Photo: NASA/JPL)

Tony Murfin
GNSSAerospace

Acknowledgements

Aerovironment: Ben Pipenberg, the company’s extensive role in the Ingenuity project is summarized in a presentation for the recent AUVSI Xponential convention in Atlanta.

NASA/JPL: Integrity’s development is described in depth in NASA/JLP paper “Mars Helicopter Technology Demonstrator,” which is a principle source of material for this article.

September 15, 2021
Xponential: Where UAVs (and companies) go to see and be seen
This year’s AUVSI Xponential show continued to demonstrate how large, thriving and visionary the UAV market is proving itself to be. With attendance around 8,000 people, an extensive technical program featuring more than 300 speakers, and a huge show floor displaying a wide range of sizes, configurations and applications, this was truly 2019’s place to be, see and — for the exhibitors — be seen.

On the large-format side,
- an expanding test-range facility in North Dakota brings experimental capability to the oversize crowd,
- Bell and Boeing are going full-tilt with large UAVs, both rotor and fixed-wing, and
- a higher level market is emerging at 20 kilometers (12 miles, or 65,000 feet) above the Earth.
In the smaller-sized portion of the market, hydrogen fuel cells are extending operational time, and indoor inspections can be significantly cost- and time-reduced with new task-specific models.

Hurricane Irma response. Tuesday morning’s opening keynote featured an overview of how Florida Power and Light (FPL) and Precision Hawk undertook recovery inspections following Hurricane Irma in 2018.

This rang a bell for me, as Irma was the first hurricane I lived through; it passed 30–50 miles to the east of us, up the center of Florida.

FPL flew 4,000 miles with Precision Hawk drones, looking for downed and damaged transmission lines and blown transformers throughout its massive distribution network.

UAVs on the Show Floor

With roughly 800 exhibitors, it’s impossible to see everything, let alone talk with all the companies. So the following is a small subset from the show, with highlights from the large-format UAV sector and a few smaller ones. Further coverage of the show will appear in next month’s newsletter column.

The Bell Nexus demonstrator drew crowds at AUVSI Xponential 2019. (Photo: Tony Murfin)

Bell Helicopter. The Bell Nexus demonstration tilt-rotor – judging solely by the number of smartphone picture takers – was the hit of the show.

Nexus is gleaming blue, with six 8-foot tilt-rotors. The booth had a massive display screen in the back running a loop of its exploits, along with what seemed to be animations of future adventures — flying people around city-center skyscrapers.

Tail-sitter package delivery drone. (Photo: Tony Murfin)

This brings up lots of potential failure modes to be mitigated (six rotors rather than one regular helicopter rotor blade and a complex control system, for instance) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to chew on during the certification process.

A large four-tail package-carrying sitter drone for larger item deliveries took second place at the Bell booth, even though it is possibly closer to becoming a reality than the gleaming blue star of the show.

Boeing’s tilt-rotor UAV prototype recently flew its first test flight. (Photo: Boeing)

Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing was apparently preparing to fly a prototype version of a tilt-rotor UAV, only Boeing’s is designed to be a heavy cargo lifter. The Cargo Air Vehicle prototype vehicle has six tilt-capable dual-rotor systems, weighs 1,100 pounds and is 17.5 x 20 x 5 feet tall. It’s interesting how similar the Bell and Boeing (production concept) configurations seem to be.

Boeing design concept for the Cargo Air Vehicle. (Image: Boeing)

Ballard. Most multi-rotors on UAVs are driven by electric motors, so battery capacity determines the duration of flying time. Ballard has developed the FCair hydrogen fuel cell, which can extend flight time to up to 90 minutes, almost three times that of lithium-ion battery-powered drones.

FCair 600W hydrogen fuel cell. (Photo: Ballard)

Insitu, AeroVironment, Lockheed-Martin, and others have flown the Ballard fuel-cell system; apparently this list also includes the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the Air Force.

Grand Sky. The Grand Sky Aviation Park in North Dakota is co-located within the 217 acres Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) and has FAA approval as a UAV beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) test range.

North Dakota has invested more than $34 million in UAV efforts within the state, with a good chunk going towards the infrastructure at Grand Sky. Now only UAVs fly out of the facility, with Northrop Grumman and General Atomics making it an operational base for Global Hawk, Reaper and Predator drones.

One of the principal benefits is the ability to fly BVLOS operations for large drones at Grand Sky. The system uses two long-range primary radars, one at Grand Forks AFB and the other in Hillsboro, that can detect non-cooperative aircraft.

Harris RangeVue radar and Harris ADS-B sensors coupled with the Air Force’s DASR-11 radar enable BVLOS testing without using a chase plane or staying within line-of-sight. This enables 10–12 hour missions within the 30-mile, 18,000-foot BVLOS range, with continuous electronic monitoring by the ground-based radar system.

A new operational center is being built to house the integrated system and to provide access for visiting drone operators, and the BVLOS range is expected to be ultimately extended all the way to the Canadian border.

Flyability. The Elios 2 UAS system has evolved to include a rotatable thermal and high-definition visual camera payload, 10,000-lumen oblique lighting system, and reversible rotors that enable the UAV to back out of tricky situations.

A geodesic-like cage surrounding the drone makes it collision-tolerant and enables flight in restricted indoor areas such as refinery enclosures, mines, vats, cargo holds and nuclear containment vessels — anywhere, in fact, that inspections today are regularly conducted by people.

A typical nuclear plant inspection might cost $500,000, while this drone system costs around $35,000, and an inspection might take around 10 minutes. For traditional inspections, plants might have to go offline completely while people crawl around in extremely difficult, often dangerous spaces, and manual reports might take significant time to produce.

Flyability claims huge savings in inspection time with their system, as well as automated analysis and production of reports.

AeroVironment. Just before the show, SoftBank, Japan and AeroVironment held a press conference in Japan outlining their HAPSMobile Joint Venture to address the lack of communications access in many parts of the world. Almost 3.7 billion people, or half the world’s population, currently do not have internet access.

SoftBank wants to provide internet inexpensively, without the need for extensive ground infrastructure, by operating high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) UAVs. HAPS is expected to fly in the stratosphere at a 20-kilometer height for up to six months, powered by solar cells and equipped with payloads that enable direct connection to the internet for users on the ground.

Airborne-type certification and spectrum will be required for the uplink/downlink. Both present significant challenges, but HAPS suppliers, including Airbus, Facebook and others are joining the fight for spectrum. AeroVironment has a $65 million contract from HAPSMobile to develop and produce HAPS UAVs, and build of their Hawk 30 HAPS UAV is well underway.

HAPSMobile has also taken a minority $125 million position with Loon, which has been flying stratospheric balloons for several years, providing wireless coverage in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma, and network coverage in South America.

Other suppliers exploring the HAPS market at the show included Airbus, which displayed its Zephyr UAV and recently announced the opening of the Wyndham HAPS launch site in Western Australia; and UAVOS, which announced a new control system for its HAPS vehicle.

In addition, Boeing’s unmanned aircraft subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences, has already made significant claims about the capabilities of its own Odysseus HAPS UAV program.

Recapping the Recap. With many more exhibitors and limited time, the rest of the story from Chicago’s 2019 Xponential exhibition will have to wait till next month, to include show news from Sagetech, uAvionics, Sensefly, Fortem, Septentrio, NovAtel and others.

In sum, we see a wide range of different applications all benefiting from unmanned air vehicles of different types and configurations. A number of outfits are working the HAPS gamble, North Dakota’s BVLOS test-range expansion brings experimental capability to the oversize crowd, and Bell and Boeing are going full-tilt with large UAVs, both rotor and fixed-wing.

These developments clearly indicate that the UAS business continues to grow into a huge number of applications and to look very healthy.
May 15, 2019
What’s coming to AUVSI Xponential + UAV misHAPS

AUVSI Xponential 2019 — the huge exhibition and conference built around unmanned everything — will run at the West Building, McCormick Place Convention Center, April 29 to May 2 in Chicago.

This is the premier show for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) group and its many members and supporters who have interest in unmanned technology — 8,500 attendees with connection to unmanned and autonomous capability are expected to walk the exhibit hall to see the latest products, hear numerous related presentations, participate in educational courses, and mingle with other like-minded people in the industry.

I was looking for a way to provide a brief overview of the companies exhibiting; a sample cross-section to provide an insight on what to expect. But with more than 700 exhibitors, it’s a difficult thing to do. Then I realized that the company show preview emails in my inbox were from organizations that were actually quite representative of the industry, and I had my overview selection.

Flyability’s drones are adapted for inspection tasks, both indoors and out, with an exterior protective cage. Routine inspection jobs indoors, underground and around complex pipework become quicker, safer and are fully documented by high-resolution video and stills.

This all enables the reduction of costs and process-interruption downtime of industrial inspections, while also reducing to a large degree the risks for inspection professionals. Industries using these inspection drones include power generation, oil and gas, chemicals, maritime, infrastructures and utilities, and public safety.

AeroVironment’s drones are used extensively by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, and in the commercial sector they focus on tools for agriculture.

Quantix drone. (Photo: AeroVironment)

The VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) Quantix drone system is fully automated for takeoff, flight and landing, enabling mapping of farm acreage to monitor crop health to identify anomalies due to water, insect, weed and disease so their impact on yield can be minimized.

Valqari has developed a drone mailbox that is interoperable with a large number of delivery drones and enables drop-off of packages in residential neighborhoods.

The Valqari drone mailbox automatically accepts packages and safely stores them until the recipient opens the box later to retrieve them.

Cepton Technologies makes lidar systems more commonly used for automotive obstacle detection, but now customized for UAV integration and use. Its UAV lidar system provides long-range, high-resolution and low-cost mapping capabilities in a lightweight package. With a scanning range of 200 meters, high-density map-data acquisition becomes possible.

Deseret UAS is a non-profit working to bring UAS business to Utah — the organization offers information, promotes UAS companies and offers test-range access in Utah. In collaboration with Utah State University AggieAir, FAA authority for flight testing in wide open; low-risk operational areas of Utah can be accessed.

And, of course, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), manufacturer of the well-known Predator military drone, will exhibit. At Xponential 2018, GA-ASI unveiled its MQ-9B SkyGuardian certifiable drone system. Through the year, the company has progressed towards certification of the system for flight within the U.S. civilian National Airspace System and the civil airspace of other countries around the world.

GA-ASI’s latest media release recounted how an MQ-9B was flown by the company’s Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) on March 9, including both take-off and landing. The CGCS architecture separates flight and mission-critical functions. Off-the-shelf avionics and flight computers are used for flight-critical functions, and mission-critical functions run alongside GA-ASI’s Advanced Cockpit payload and weapons equipment.

Meanwhile, High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) unmanned aircraft are back in the news with what appears to be a crash during the sensitive take-off/climb-out regime. The Airbus Zephyr aircraft — with an 82-foot wingspan, but weighing less than 75 pounds — was engaged in a test campaign in Western Australia when the ground abruptly intervened on March 15.

Airbus is working with the UK Ministry of Defence to demonstrate the operational capabilities of the UAV and its anticipated payload options. Once airborne, Zephyr is intended to climb out to upwards of 65,000 feet into the stratosphere — previously achieving a maximum altitude of 74,000 feet — and has so far been able to remain airborne for almost 26 days. The object is to create a commercial, reusable, reconfigurable satellite-like capability for communications and surveillance applications.

Airbus and MoD are undertaking a crash investigation to determine what exactly happened and how to prevent future recurrence. The incident occurred about four hours into a demonstration flight, and (reading between the lines) may have been related to rapid weather changes that destabilized the UAV while in the take-off and climb-out phase. An automated launch system is in the works — currently Zephyr is man-handled for take-off.

Other HAPS programs include AeroVironment and Japan’s Softbank, Astigan and the UK Ordnance Survey, BAE Systems and Prismatic, and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences. Thales, meanwhile, is apparently focusing on an approach using an autonomous airship.

So some good news, some not so good. Lots of attendees are expected in Chicago for the AUVSI Xponential show, with new developments in unmanned aircraft, robotics, and unmanned ground and water systems anticipated in the exhibition hall. There will be lots of people in the industry with whom to exchange ideas and conduct business to conduct, hopefully just as spring arrives in the windy city.

Meanwhile, over the coming months Airbus will no doubt continue to work out how to overcome the latest problems in HAPS technology and operations.

April 17, 2019
Unmanned taxis, solar-powered UAS in development
This month’s highlights from the UAV industry include:
- more on the potential for unmanned airborne taxis,
- a drone recovery system aimed at satisfying FAA requirements for flying over people,
- a temporary stumble for camera supplier GoPro as it withdraws from the UAS end-product business, and
- a possible commercial re-emergence of the high-altitude, solar-powered drone.
Passenger drone tested in UK

Y6S passenger-carrying drone. (Photo: Autonomous Flight)

If a passenger-carrying drone could cost about the same as a regular passenger car, like those used by taxi and Uber drivers, then the economics might work. So it’s interesting that an outfit in the United Kingdom — Autonomous Flight — is talking about building passenger-carrying drones for around $25,000.

Autonomous Flight says has a prototype up and running, testing the concept in Southern England; testing with passengers is expected to get underway this year. The YS6 is battery-powered with multiple redundant systems for safety and is designed to fly at 70 mph, with a range of 80 miles at 1,500 ft.

This happens to meet a design goal of covering a distance from Heathrow Airport to Charing Cross train station in 12 minutes, a journey that would normally take around an hour by car in London traffic. There are similar “hops” that could save a massive amount of time in almost every city in the world.

But don’t hold your breath. It could take more than five years to get regulatory approval for the vehicle and for the initial routes over cities — never mind the time needed to get this particular concept into large-scale production to achieve the target price. But it’s nevertheless a good sign with good prospects for the future.

Drone Recovery System

While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers the regulations for drone flights over people, in the meantime several applications have been developed for people-overflight with drones equipped with parachutes.

Presumably, a drone would be safer if lowered by parachute in the event of equipment failure, but apparently such applications that rely on parachutes for risk mitigation have all been turned down by FAA. University of Alabama and Virginia Tech research has indicated a 70 percent chance of significant injury or death when a drone the size of an 8.85-pound DJI Inspire 2 fails and falls onto people.

Indemnis in Anchorage, Alaska, has been working with the FAA and other interested stakeholders to draft the regulatory standard for flight over people and has now gone on to develop its Nexus ballistic drone recovery system, which it plans to have on the market by next summer.

With a retail price of between $1,700 and $2,500, the system is expected to satisfy these coming FAA regulations for UAS flight over people and in urban areas for Part 107 commercial operations, but would seem to be quite expensive for smaller recreational drones.

The system is scalable for drones from eight pounds to “several thousand” pounds. The Nexus system is designed to automatically deploy within 30 milliseconds of detecting a failure on the drone or of entering unrecoverable flight, and the system is capable of determining normal flight or a failure to within six feet of vertical movement.

According to Indemnis, more than 10,000 requests for flight over people have been received by the FAA in the last 14 months, but all those that rely on parachutes for risk mitigation have been refused. This is apparently because conventional parachute systems have a tendency to become tangled with the aircraft or manual deployment is required. It is also said that current quadcopter drone safety systems — which cut power to an engine to prevent tumbling and which slow descent by adding power to the remaining engines — are inadequate for flying over people.

The Nexus system automatically detects failure, cuts engine power, and deploys an aircraft parachute within 30 milliseconds, slowing vertical speed to around 7 mph. This should be slow enough to allow the operator to catch up with the vehicle before it hits the ground. However, reducing vertical speed is only half the solution, as a vehicle under parachute will still travel horizontally due to wind velocity. So Indemnis is testing their parachute system with an airbag on a 33.29-pound DJI M600 drone. The airbag turns the drone “into a giant pillow” once the chute deploys.

The expected FAA standard is anticipated to require 45 tests in two failure modes — critical motor failure and full motor failure — at full flight speed, hover, and in automatic and manual deployment scenarios. Tests with a DJI Inspire 2 cutting one motor, two motors or four motors have pitched the drone violently just before it enters a slow roll — at 60 mph, it will roll quickly and violently.

This drone safety and recovery system is expected to be on the market within the next few years, following release of the projected FAA standards.

GoPro Karma hits the dust

In what would seem to be an unusual turn of events in a rapidly expanding market, GoPro has decided to exit the UAS vehicle business. GoPro cameras are still a favorite on a wide range of UAVs, but the company has chosen to get out of the business of making end-item unmanned vehicles, despite reaching second place in market share in 2017 for its price range.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas, GoPro explained that its decision was based on inadequate returns versus the investment required to support their single-product UAS business.

However, Karma’s demise was apparently brought on not only by an expensive initial product recall, but also by the apparent additional financial pressure of poor Hero5 camera sales.

Nevertheless, GoPro still feels that the “action-camera” market has the legs to sustain growth, so it’s likely UAV manufacturers will not have to go looking for another reliable video camera source any time soon.

Joint venture for solar HALE UAS

The solar-powered Helios in flight.

In late 1990s/early 2000s, NASA contracted with AeroVironment to develop a high-altitude solar-powered UAS for NASA’s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology, or ERAST, program.

In August 2001, the Helios prototype reached a world-record altitude of 96,863 ft., and in 2002 the Pathfinder Plus prototype provided from 65,000 feet high-definition television (HDTV) signals; third-generation (3G) mobile voice, video and data; and high-speed internet.

AeroVironment has now formed a joint venture with Japanese SoftBank Corporation to develop a solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAS for commercial operations that may include applications such as high-altitude pseudo-satellites.

The joint venture — known as HAPSMobile — is a Japanese corporation in which AeroVironment holds minority ownership but is still able to directly exploit commercial and military opportunities outside Japan.

Summary

It’s encouraging to see another airborne taxi initiative joining the folks who were demonstrating prototypes in Dubai back last September. If the market is there, more entrants should help make this option a reality.

It’s also good news that a company already has a drone recovery system in the works that could reduce the potential for injury in the event one falls out of the sky. This might start to reverse adverse public opinion about drones and help the FAA move forward with regulations allowing wider usage.

Meanwhile, it’s sad but true that new industries inevitably see some entrants pull back and even leave in the early stages. It’s fortunate that popular drone camera supplier GoPro still has the ability to retrench and fall back on its existing business.

Finally, the promise of high-altitude solar-powered drones would seem to be still alive. If it could be possible to hang TV and other comms systems on these high-altitude loitering vehicles, there might be a much less expensive way of getting transmitters into very high altitude orbits without the cost of a space launch. Then many areas around the world could benefit from low-cost signal distribution that might not otherwise work commercially.
January 17, 2018
AeroVironment launches joint venture for solar high-altitude long-endurance UAS

AeroVironment Inc., a maker of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for defense and commercial applications, has formed a joint venture to develop solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAS for commercial operations.

This category of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is also referred to as high-altitude pseudo-satellites, or HAPS.

The joint venture will fund the development program up to a net maximum value of $65,011,481.

The joint venture, HAPSMobile Inc., is a Japanese corporation that is 95 percent funded and owned by Japan-based telecommunications operator SoftBank Corp. and 5 percent funded and owned by AeroVironment.

The solar-powered Helios in flight.(Photo: NASA)

AeroVironment is committed to contribute $5 million in capital for its 5 percent ownership of the joint venture, and has an option to increase its ownership stake in HAPSMobile up to 19 percent at the same cost basis as its initial 5 percent purchase.

“This is a historic moment for AeroVironment. For many years, we have fully understood the incredible value high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft platforms could deliver to countless organizations and millions of people around the world through remote sensing and last mile, next generation IoT connectivity,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment chief executive officer.“We were searching for the right strategic partner to pursue this very large global opportunity with us.Now we believe we are extremely well-positioned to build on the decades of successful development we have performed to translate our solar UAS innovations into long-term value through HAPSMobile Inc. Our entire team is excited, and we look forward to transforming this strategic growth opportunity into reality.”

AeroVironment pioneered the concept of high-altitude solar-powered UAS in the 1980s, and developed and demonstrated multiple systems for NASA’s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology, or ERAST program, in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In August 2001, the AeroVironment Helios prototype reached an altitude of 96,863 feet, setting the world-record for sustained horizontal flight by a winged aircraft.

In 2002, the AeroVironment Pathfinder Plus prototype performed the world’s first UAS telecommunications demonstrations at 65,000 feet by providing high-definition television (HDTV) signals, third-generation (3G) mobile voice, video and data and high-speed internet connectivity.

Multiple U.S. government agencies funded the development of the hybrid-electric Global Observer unmanned aircraft system from 2007 through 2011. Global Observer represents a solution for extended operation over high northern and southern latitudes during local winters, when the sun’s energy is insufficient to maintain continuous solar aircraft operation at high altitude.

SoftBank Corp. and AeroVironment, Inc. have agreed to license certain background intellectual properties to HAPSMobile, which will own the newly developed UAS intellectual property and possess exclusive rights for commercial applications globally, and non-commercial applications in Japan.AeroVironment will possess exclusive rights to the resulting intellectual property for certain non-commercial applications, except in Japan.AeroVironment will also possess exclusive rights to design and manufacture all such aircraft in the future for HAPSMobile, subject to the terms of the Joint Venture Agreement.

For additional information, please see AeroVironment’s Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Jan. 3.

January 16, 2018
AeroVironment Gets $13M UAV Order from U.S. Marine Corps

A Puma AE being launched.

AeroVironment has received an order valued at $13 million for RQ-20A Puma AE small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and initial spares packages for the United States Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps employs the Puma AE system as the long-range solution for its small unit remote scouting system (SURSS), complementing the AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven and RQ-12A Wasp AE UAS.

The Puma AE unmanned aircraft system delivers situational awareness directly to its operator in ground, to help provide information superiority on the battlefield.

AeroVironment received the order from ADS Inc. on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps through the Defense Logistics Agency Tailored Logistics Support program. Delivery is scheduled within 12 months.

The Puma AE weighs 13.5 pounds, operates for more than 210 minutes at a range of up to 15 kilometers, and delivers live, streaming color and infrared video as well as laser illumination from its pan-tilt-zoom Mantis i23 AE gimbaled payload.

Launched by hand and capable of landing on the ground or in fresh or salt water, the Puma AE provides portability and flexibility for infantry, littoral or maritime reconnaissance operations.

November 25, 2015