The UAV market has been growing rapidly for the past several years, especially in the U.S. with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 regulations becoming active in August 2016. Before then, it was impossible to tell what systems were real and would weather the marketplace, and which were just a dream. Multicopters dominate the marketplace. (DJI’s M600 — out since 2016 — offers a 1–6-kilogram payload option). In late 2019, InnoFlight introduced the Galaxy 950 unmanned helicopter, a single-rotor platform capable of carrying more than 6 kilograms. It is available with battery power only, providing flights under an hour, but soon will support a gas-driven option for flights exceeding 2 hours. The system can be ready to deploy in less than 10 minutes.
Lidar USA provides a range of available lidar systems weighing about 5 kilograms, which work well with heavy-lift systems such as the Galaxy 950. In 2019, the Optech CL-90 was released; later the same year, the CL-360 hit the market. Lidar USA integrated each scanner into its product family and immediately saw the possibilities with the Galaxy 950.
The Lidar USA CL-series, together with the Galaxy 950, easily falls in the under-55-pound category set by the FAA. This means users can tackle small (5-acre) and large (500- to 5,000-acre) mapping jobs with confidence in their drone platform, the quality of the scan data, and the resulting lidar point cloud. The Galaxy 950 can easily support the CL-series with supporting cameras. The Optech CL-series provides survey-grade lidar accurate data: +/– 0.01 foot from a car on a paved surface. The system can operate from 400 feet with scan lines every inch at speeds of 14 mph (6.3 m/s). Of course, not all pulses make it to the ground due to vegetation, but the Optech CL-series provides up to four echos per pulse with a small beam size of 0.3 milliradians. Depending on the clipping angle, the scan width can range upwards of 1,200 feet, equating to about 34 acres per minute along a corridor. This system provides the surveyor with high-quality, accurate and dense lidar data.
The ability to capture and evaluate truth on the ground through aerial imagery is an ever-growing industry, thanks to the proliferation of UAVs and access to imagery on demand and online. Yet obstacles remain that could prevent organizations from capturing location intelligence.
For organizations that require timely, accurate and current aerial imagery, an additional capture program outside of drones could be necessary. One company, Nearmap, flies fixed-wing aircraft two to three times per year over 430 urban areas across the United States. Using proprietary camera technology, Nearmap captures aerial data in a variety of formats: vertical, oblique and 3D. The location content is then delivered to customers via a web browser application and can be easily integrated into GIS/CAD applications.
A mid-size tech company in New Mexico using a drone to capture digital surface model data ran into two obstacles: proximity to no-fly zones at Albuquerque International Airport and need for image consistency over an entire metro area. With a project due date looming, the company turned to Nearmap, which provided the necessary image data around the airport, as well as historical imagery. With the Nearmap data, the company was able to speed project planning from design to project completion.
Nearmap aerial imagery also provides data at scale (an entire city, not one city block). The clarity of the imagery is 2.8-inch ground sample distance, providing optimal data for seeing truth on the ground.
The CHCNAV P330 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV has been deployed to complete orthophoto acquisition with a resolution of 15–20 centimeters of the city of Xichang in the Sichuan Province, China. The project involved a series of technical and operating challenges: several no-fly zones, a 700-meter flight ceiling by airspace control, tricky winds, and a total area of 900 square kilometers — all within a tight schedule.
The project involved 15 people, a fleet of four P330s and the set up of 200 ground control points.
The hybrid P330 was selected for its ability to combine the advantages of a fixed-wing UAV with extended flight time with a rotor-based VTOL UAV, which enables aerial survey missions on complex terrain.
Project area. (Photo: CHC Navigation)
Each P330s was fitted with a Sony A7R2 camera and high-accuracy GNSS positioning system. Because of its innovative design, the P330 can be assembled in less than five minutes without tools, saving the survey crew considerable time. Plus, basic operation training was completed in 2 hours.
The P330 also has one-click take-off and landing, support for breakpoint flight resuming after temporary return to base, and self-diagnostic of all sensors before take off. It has dual-rotor and parachute protection in case of emergency landing.
Other features include take-off and landing positioning accuracy within 20 centimeters and automatic return to base in case of a data communication failure. It offers survey-grade PPK accuracy.
The P330’s battery life lasts up to 2.5 hours. It will operate safely under Class 5 wind conditions at an altitude up to 4,000 meters, providing stable attitude under bad weather conditions. It also meets imaging constraints under low-light conditions.
The ASTRALiTe Edge is a small-scale topographic and bathymetric scanning lidar that can detect underwater objects, measure shallow water depth and survey critical underwater infrastructure from a small UAV platform.
The patented 2-in-1 topo-bathy Edge can see beneath the water surface at depths of 0–10 meters. It is self-contained with its own INS/GNSS, battery and onboard computer. It weighs under 5 kilograms and is designed for deployment on UAV systems for faster, safer and more accurate bathymetric surveys. From coastal mapping and surveying to infrastructure inspection and military logistics, the applications of this innovative lidar are numerous and widespread.
Geo-Referencing Solution. ASTRALiTe needed a motion and navigation solution for its cutting-edge lidar. “Our requirements included high accuracy along with low size, weight and power,” explained Andy Gisler, director of Lidar Systems. Also, the system needed to be able to apply a PPK correction to the lidar data to provide higher accuracy results to ASTRALiTe’s customers.
Photo: SBG Systems
The company chose the new Quanta georeferencing solution from SBG Systems, an INS designed to be integrated into mobile mapping systems. “The weight of the INS solution was especially important to us,” Gisler said. The Edge scanner will be flown on UAVs, where light payload capacities are required. “The ability to use two GPS antennas was key in our choice as we required good heading knowledge at slow flight speeds,” Gisler said.
Quanta directly and precisely geotags the point cloud in real time and provides even higher performance in post-processing. One year of post-processing with Qinertia, SBG’s in-house PPK software, is offered for UAV applications.
“Accurate and lightweight IMU performance leads to high accuracy lidar point clouds,” Gisler said. “Combined with the ASTRALiTe scanner and lidar performance, point clouds with typical densities of 100-300 pts/m2 and centimeter-level resolution can be achieved.”
When Trimble sold its Gatewing fixed-wing drone business to Delair in October 2016, its decision was based on several drivers. Trimble had worked with Delair since 2008 and knew their capabilities; the company decided that a dedicated drone company should be better placed than a GNSS manufacturer to find and develop leading-edge drone business. Also, the sale enabled Trimble to better focus on integrated UAS software technology for positioning, remote sensing and photogrammetry. Delair joined up with Microdrones, a supplier of multi-rotor UAVs, to round out the team’s offerings. Both companies are skilled in the application of Trimble UAV software.
Typical Delair drone applications include rapid data gathering using the UX11 fixed-wing drone, followed by data analysis leading to highly accurate survey-grade results.
For the Johnson Poole and Bloomer (JPB) mine sites, personnel safety was an important driver in moving away from having people on the ground collect data, sometimes in dangerous situations. Time and cost savings have now become the norm for JPB survey operations, particularly for stockpile volume calculations.
With the UX11 flying at 400 feet for 40–45 minutes, up to five times each day, it is possible to collect thousands of photos of many acres — ending with an accuracy of around 1.7 centimeters.
The UX11 drone is equipped with a high-precision Septentrio AsteRx-m2, providing post-processed kinematic (PPK) multi-frequency, four-constellation signal reception. The AsteRx-m2 is also low power and low weight.
Another mining operation using Delair drone survey and analysis tools is Luck Stone in Virginia. With numerous quarries in Maryland and Virginia, Luck Stone produces aggregates and more than 75 crushed stone, sand and gravel products for civil engineering, private construction and environmental projects. Luck Stone also finds that inspection staff safety is significantly improved, as is the time for such inspections, and asset inventories are not only accurate but also can be undertaken quickly and much more often.
Delair has just released a new agriculture system with the fixed-wing Delair UX11 Ag, along with the Delair Aerial Intelligence (delair.ai) processing system. An integrated and easy-to-use workflow has been developed to collect, manage, analyze and share agriculture data for crop health monitoring, field experimentation analysis, automatic machine guidance, precision ag practices and better crop traceability.
The new system makes use of PPK for precise auto-geolocation. The UX11 Ag drone carries a fully integrated high-grade multispectral camera for the data collection and monitoring of plant health.
Delair.ai supports tools that provide visual field maps, identifying plant health by chlorophyll content, green biomass, stoutness/visual health and other plant indicators. The drone enables spray prescription preparation to counter weeds, disease and pest infiltration. UAVs also make it possible to determine the effectiveness of treatment regimes.
In addition, Delair has developed the DT26 fixed-wing series of longer range drones for two-hour lidar survey flights and for surveillance; it can be adapted to carry other customer payloads. The DT26 uses an Applanix/Trimble GNSS receiver.
Delair customers also use their drones for power-line inspections and in the oil and gas industry for site preparation surveys and pipeline inspections. The UX11 was the first drone from a Trimble partner to provide a JXL file for processing UX11 data in the Trimble Business Center.
MVT Geo-solutions, in partnership with Iris Automation, has been granted the first beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) by Transport Canada using only onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems.
The approval was granted based on the utilization of Iris Automation’s DAA system, called Casia, which provides commercial drones with automated collision avoidance maneuvers.
The waiver permits flights within the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence’s controlled airspace Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) test range in Alma, Quebec. This is the first BVLOS flight at the location leveraging only onboard DAA for air risk mitigation, and does not require ground-based observers or radar.
BVLOS flights unlock autonomous drone use for economically beneficial commercial applications including infrastructure inspection, mining, mapping, agriculture, emergency response and package delivery.
“Achieving the first BVLOS approval in Canada further validates our technology alongside multiple permissions we have already received from regulators in the U.S. and South Africa,” said Iris Automation CEO Alexander Harmsen. ”This technology is critical to safely integrate drones into the airspace along with manned-aircraft, and we look forward to unlocking commercial operations for our customers in Canada.”
Iris Automation’s onboard computer-vision DAA system is an effective, scalable and cost-effective technology to enable commercial BVLOS operations.
“The UAS Center of Excellence is looking forward to leveraging Iris Automation’s DAA system and existing flight expertise within our network to conduct BVLOS flights with MVT Geo-solutions,” said UAS Center of Excellence Director William de Keiser. “We will continue to develop our partnership with Iris Automation to provide training to local operators and enable BVLOS flights in Canada.”
The first BVLOS flights are scheduled to take place within weeks. The resulting data will inform more complex BVLOS operations in the future.
Through the Notice of Funding Opportunity, DOT intends to fund one UTC in each of the following specific topic areas:
Highly automated transportation systems research
Communications technology and e-commerce effects on travel demand
Implications of accessible automated vehicles and mobility services for people with disabilities
Strategic implications of changing public transportation travel trends.
Only U.S. non-profit institutions of higher education are eligible to apply or to be members of a proposed UTC consortium. Non-profit institutions of higher education may include qualifying two-year institutions.
“Our University Transportation Centers are not only the seeds of our future transportation system, they serve as living labs, bringing research to reality. Four new UTCs will address a variety of important 21st century transportation topics,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Diana Furchtgott-Roth.
Thee Tier 1 UTCs will support research needs that DOT has identified under two of the FAST Act research priorities (49 U.S.C. § 6503(c)(1)): “Promoting Safety” and “Improving Mobility of People and Goods.”
The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available now. For more information on the UTC program, contact Nancy Wilochka, (202) 366-5128.
Drone Delivery Canada is reaching out to the healthcare industry for use case applications for drone deliveries related to COVID-19.
The Toronto-based company, which has been designated an essential workplace by the Ontario Provincial Government, seeks use cases from health care organizations (hospitals, seniors’ homes, medical labs and related organizations).
If organizations in healthcare and related industries have a use case, they should reach out immediately to DDC at [email protected] and also contact their local government official to support their use case.
“In the news we are seeing COVID-19 related drone applications around the world, and Canada can particularly benefit from having DDC, a drone logistics leader, in its own backyard,” said Michael Zahra, president and CEO of DDC. “The current situation is an ideal use-case for our proven drone logistics solution to: limit person-to-person contact; bring needed medical and pharmaceutical supplies to Aboriginal, remote, rural and suburban communities; transport blood samples to laboratories for testing and deliver other relevant supplies needed for Canada to effectively manage the current situation.”
Photo: Michael Chapman/iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
Aerial perspective and mobile operation management system combine to inform deployment, give increased situational awareness, and save critical time
A new strategic partnership between DJI and Rosenbauer International AG will enable emergency scenarios to be dealt with quicker, more safely and more efficiently, according to the companies.
DJI makes civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, and Rosenbauer manufactures fire service vehicles and firefighting equipment.
The two companies will work together to bring the benefits of digital emergency response management to anyone involved in being called to tackle an emergency situation.
Whether used by a private company at an airport or industrial facility, or a local fire department called out to an emergency even in severe weather, an aerial perspective combined with Rosenbauer’s operation management system enables the situation to be quickly assessed and informed decisions made regarding the safest and most efficient deployment of personnel.
Rosenbauer’s operation management system is the information management system for firefighting operations that supports emergency crews on site with relevant information such as fire safety maps, hazardous material data or vehicle rescue sheets.
Data from DJI’s drone fleet management software, FlightHub, will be integrated into Rosenbauer’s operation management system, giving additional visual and thermal data to the decision maker of the operation.
The information can then be relayed to operational units at the scene on a tablet or displayed on monitors back at the command center giving a full overview of the situation. Informed decisions can be made in real time regarding the efficient and safe deployment of resources such as personnel, vehicles and other equipment.
Data safety is paramount and all information that is delivered to the Rosenbauer operation management system in real-time, and from DJI’s FlightHub, is stored on a server in the highly secure computer center of a well-known European telecommunication firm. The data traffic is secured and encrypted. During deployment, the data is also synced with all mobile end devices so that every operational team has the same information, and it is kept in a closed loop.
“Speed and a truly complete overall picture are key criteria for success when emergency service teams have to make purposeful decisions under time pressure. We have already supported their efforts to meet these criteria with our IT solutions, which range from efficient vehicle management to navigation, right through to alarm applications,” said Dieter Siegel, CEO of Rosenbauer International. “This cooperation with DJI enables us to consolidate our role as a digital pioneer while we work together to develop an integrated technology for comprehensive, data-based firefighting and disaster management.”
“DJI is proud to bring its drone technology to support Rosenbauer’s excellence in fire apparatus manufacturing and its vision of empowering firefighters with the best possible tools for emergency response and disaster relief. At DJI, we aim to provide reliable, scalable drone offerings that empower firefighters, search and rescue and public safety teams to benefit from this technology,” said Roger Luo, President, DJI. ” It plays an increasing role in saving lives, time and resources on a daily basis. This integration is an important step for this long-term partnership, and our commitment demonstrates an increasing maturity in the adoption of drones for firefighting professionals.”
ARPAS-UK — the Association of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems UK — is requesting the nation’s drone operators to let them know whether they could help fight the battle against coronavirus.
“We are aware there are thousands of Commercial Drone Operators out there; we may need your help,” ARPAS-UK said in a statement to the drone industry.
ARPAS-UK said it is “working hard to push the capabilities of the drone industry and making sure that government departments are reminded of the expertise and capabilities of the drone community in the UK.”
ARPAS-UK is especially targeting relief for emergency services, as well as delivery of emergency food and medicine to vulnerable people, spraying of disinfectant, and collection of imagery and video to help monitor various situations.
Current activities that could be expanded include vital inspections necessary to keep infrastructure running or maintain safety, such as monitoring following floods or environmental activity, and monitoring gas levels on sites.
ARPAS-UK is creating a secure database of the information that will be destroyed when no longer required. To fill out a form for the database, visit this page.
“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry. This month, we focus on UAVs.
Screenshot: Quaternium video
Non-stop flight in Valencia
On Feb. 3, drone company Quaternium broke its own record for long flight time with a hybrid-fuel electric drone. The Quaternium HYBRiX UAV took off at 08:52 a.m. in Valencia, Spain, and landed at 17:02 p.m., after performing a stationary flight of 8 hours and 10 minutes. The new endurance record for non-stop flight time was accomplished with an experimental version of the company’s HYBRiX 2.1 drone, which carries 25 kilograms of maximum take-off weight.
Westpac Little Ripper. (Photo: The Ripper Group/SLSA)
Dye-dropping drones
A company is providing drones that can drop sea- marker dye into ocean surf, allowing lifeguards on shore to spot riptides. The drones have been developed by The Ripper Group, reports the Brisbane Times. A fleet of 51 drones is being deployed across 25 beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts in Australia, as well as farther north. The drones also could be used to rapidly assess situations such as people swimming or climbing on rocks. Plus, the company has deployed drones to detect sharks and crocodiles.
Agricultural diseases cause significant crop losses worldwide. One widespread disease is yellow Sigatoka, which limits banana cultivation. Scientists at Brazil’s Federal University of Ceara have used high-resolution aerial images from an Inspire 1 UAV and machine learning to monitor yellow Sigatoka in banana crops, identifying and classifying disease symptoms such as leaf spots. The system also provides humidity and temperature data that can help assess and manage the disease.
Rescue from above
A blind man who spent 33 hours lost in February in the freezing Connecticut woods was rescued thanks to a police drone. Richard Doty, 62, was trapped in the woods near his Enfield home after he became disoriented, Enfield police said on Facebook. Temperatures had dipped as low as 9° F. Officers borrowed a drone and a skilled pilot from police in neighboring Vernon. Within 30 minutes of lift-off, the drone spotted Doty about 100 yards into the woods, hidden from view down an embankment.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the April 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
LPWA module
Collaborative IoT solution
Photo: Quectel
Quectel Wireless Solutions’ LPWA module BG95 is being integrated with Microsoft’s Azure Device software development kit (SDK). The BG95 cellular module is based on the Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem. The integration will provide direct and secure connections to the Azure IoT Hub and provide full support for Azure device management. Customers can connect their BG95 devices to the Microsoft Azure cloud where they can build, manage and deploy internet of things (IoT) solutions at scale, significantly accelerating time to market. The BG95 module is a highly integrated variant supporting integrated GNSS, Cat M1, Cat NB2 and EGPRS (also called edge). The module complies with 3GPP Release 14 and delivers improved capabilities in power consumption, data rates and hardware-based security.
The SARA-R422 product series of LTE-M/NB-IoT and EGPRS cellular modules now include GNSS variants for internet of things (IoT) data, devices and ecosystems. The SARA-R422M8S module is pre-integrated with the u-blox M8 GNSS receiver and a separate GNSS antenna interface. This provides highly reliable, accurate positioning data simultaneously with LTE communications. The module also supports hybrid positioning strategies, in which positioning data provided by satellite constellations is enhanced with data from the u-blox CellLocate service, ensuring that location data is always available everywhere. The SARA-R4 series is designed for a wide range of mission-critical IoT solutions such as connected healthcare, industrial monitoring, point of sale and vending terminals, tracking and telematics devices, as well as smart lighting solutions and building automation.
The new line of Sarbe search and rescue beacons. (Photo: Orolia)
Orolia has improved its Sarbe Evo search-and-rescue (SAR) beacon range line to deliver upgraded operational capabilities. The line offers new operational improvements to meet revised Cospas-Sarsat requirements in operating lifetime, location accuracy, voice signal management, integrated protocols, testability and maintenance. Also a focus of the upgrade was more robust and frequent GPS/GNSS position acquisition with the GPS, Galileo and GLONASS satellite constellations.
ADVA’s GNSS assurance solution could help companies dependent on satellite-based timing. (Photo: Business Wire)
ADVA’s GNSS assurance solution helps companies dependent on satellite-based timing. The centralized GNSS monitoring and assurance tool uses artificial intelligence and machine learning for comprehensive predictive maintenance. The customer-owned tool enables users to collect and analyze huge amounts of information from across the network to remotely identify issues and protect networks from GNSS vulnerabilities, including jamming and spoofing attacks. It also helps to identify GNSS obstruction issues, detect blind/poor spots that appear over time, and enable optimal antenna positioning. Built into ADVA’s Ensemble Controller network management suite with Sync Director, the solution enables customers to detect potential problems in advance and maintain the highest quality of network synchronization. It complements the limited distributed approach to GNSS assurance with a centralized global system, providing a boost to critical infrastructure now dependent on satellite-based timing.
The Locosys MC-1612-DG is a single-band multi-system with an ARM-based processor that supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS. The embedded micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensor is equipped with dead-reckoning software and provides six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope data. The extended Kalman filter algorithm combines GNSS and MEMS sensor data with a weighting function that relies on GNSS signal quality. In adverse GNSS conditions such as urban canyons, tunnels or parking garages, the dead-reckoning features boost accuracy with the software filling the gaps. It supports three-dimensional dead-reckoning and standard NMEA output, and has Flash memory, TCXO, RTC crystal, LNA and SAW filter.
The automotive-grade solid-state RS-LiDAR-M1 family has the performance advantages of traditional mechanical lidar, while meeting requirements for mass-produced vehicles. The RS-LiDAR-M1Smart is embedded with an artificial intelligence perception algorithm that transforms conventional 3D lidar sensors into a full data analysis and comprehension system, outputting semantic-level structured environment information in real time for autonomous vehicle decision making. The RS-LiDAR-M1Smart outputs two redundant channels of data: the original point cloud and the object list. The redundacy provides vehicles with a range of sensing results — dynamic, static, inside and outside the road. Also available is the RS-LiDAR-M1Simple.
The Vsx7 multi-frequency position and heading receiver is designed specifically for machine control and can be mounted by bolts or with magnets on heavy equipment. Paired with the Carlson A45 antennas, the Vsx7 features high-precision positioning in Athena RTK, Atlas L-band and SBAS and heading accuracy of up to .01 degrees. The whole Vsx7 system is designed to operate in harsh conditions from –40° F to +158° F. The Vsx7 is primarily used in the mining and construction industries, but can be used in similar industries with companion software, Carlson Grade. Field data can be collected and viewed in real time both at the machine with either the MC8 or MC10 control box as well as in the office with Carlson Command.
Trimble WorksOS is a new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) operating system. The cloud-based system will integrate data from Trimble and third-party providers across the entire civil construction project lifecycle, including estimating, scheduling, designs and the field. Currently, site supervisors and project managers jump between multiple systems to keep track of daily production quantities, labor/equipment hours and equipment maintenance schedules. Works OS is designed to bring real-time visibility into jobsite progress, schedule and cost. Users will be able to log into a single application to view real-time visibility of cut, fill, volume and compaction data to maximize jobsite productivity. Site supervisors will see daily volume calculations and compaction quality metrics, and be able to monitor progress and schedules.
Komatsu’s Smart Construction dashboard includes the 3D visualization power and geospatial accuracy of Cesium, a platform to visualize, analyze and share 3D data. The dashboard enables users to monitor a construction site from anywhere in the world, see how it changes over time, and compare architectural plans with real-world data. It is compatible with data from sensors on construction machines, drone surveys, or computer-generated files like BIM/CAD models . It allows users to visualize projects in a single scene within a web browser, as well as calculate precise measurements for cut and fill, slope, contours and more.
Cesium, cesium.com
The TopoGrafi app has been updated to allow for display of 3D data in real-world models. With enhanced 3D data-processing capabilities, TopoGrafi is an end-to-end platform for capturing buried asset data and processing it for augmented reality visualizations. Designed to be used alongside apps such as Esri Collector for ArcGIS, the TopoGrafi platform uses GNSS data. It applies near-real-time conversions, transforming the recorded positions to local reference systems and aligning it with high-accuracy mapping including Ordnance Survey MasterMap. The TopoGrafi toolkit also includes functionality to snap 3D features to each other and to other spatially referenced data to create a 3D model that can then be used to create augmented reality visualizations accessible from the desktop or in the field.
WingtraOne drone data can now be directly imported into the Trimble Business Center (TBC). The new integration combines WingtraOne high-accuracy drone data within TBC, optimizing drone mapping workflows for survey and construction projects within a single software platform. After dragging and dropping the JobXML data file, automated point cloud tools, such as classification and feature extraction, can quickly generate surface models, topographic plans and as-built deliverables. Also new: high-altitude flight capabilities, longer flight times and more intuitive battery-level readings in-flight.
The Snoopy CL-360 lidar scanner. (Photo: Lidar USA)
The Snoopy CL-360 has been meticulously designed for integration on backpack, vehicle and UAV applications. Weighing 5 kilograms fully assembled, the Snoopy CL-360 is capable of delivering highly accurate results, up to +/-0.01 feet on paved surfaces from a vehicle. The system has a scan line rate of 250 Hz with a 500-kHz data rate, giving a uniform result along and across track. The system is easily configurable with multiple scanners (similar to internet of things applications) to avoid occlusions. A UAV deployment achieves scans with usable data as much as 60 degrees off nadir (widths of more than 1,100 feet while scanning at the 400-foot ceiling). The small beam size of 0.3 mrad allows the CL-series to reliably collect ground points (such as on or near the dirt through vegetation) while also providing better detection of fine linear features such as power lines and railroad tracks.
The E300 Pro receiver tracks GNSS with 700 channels and fully supports BDS-3 signals. It supports 31 frequency points, using all GNSS constellations and frequency bands. The E300 interface has a concealed design for better protection. USB type-C charging and transmitting is a two-in-one function. The magnesium-alloy body is rugged, and the battery level can be checked with a unique LED power indicator. The weight of the whole receiver is 940 grams. The E300 Pro supports satellite station differential and satellite chain life, quick connection, intelligent voice and tilt compensation. It integrates multiple sensors including GNSS, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a magnetometer and a thermometer. With the help of a Kalman filter algorithm, the device can dynamically output position, speed and attitude information. It can measure and make real-time dynamic sampling without the need for leveling. For better radio signal quality, the E300 Pro integrates GNSS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G main and auxiliary antennas on the top of the receiver to ensure the best reception in all directions. An RF connector improves connection reliability while reducing loss of gain.
The Nova MS60 MultiStation combines upgraded, fast 3D laser-scanning capabilities, GNSS connectivity and digital imaging with a high-end total station. It features a fast laser-scanning speed of up to 30,000 points per second, optimized scan area definitions, adapted scan managements, and an improved scanning path for zenith scans. Professionals can perform point-cloud analysis in the field. Scan data is combined with traditionally measured points from GNSS receivers to graphically show locations the same day it is collected.
CP Aeronautics, a new division of CP Technologies, has launched integrated turn-key solutions based on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) platforms, payloads, data links, ground control stations (GCS) and communications for defense and civil applications. The systems offer operationally proven solutions for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems requirements. Its broad product portfolio has demonstrated excellent performance and operability in demanding environments, the company stated in a press release. Backed by continuous research and development, the systems are built on three decades of technological and operational experience. Systems include Orbiter 2 Small UAS, Orbiter 3 Small Tactical UAS, Orbiter 4 Small Tactical UAS (pictured), Aerostar Tactical UAS, Dominator XP (medium-altitude long-endurance) and Pegasus 120 (vertical takeoff and landing).
A new flight control system (FCS) fits and leverages multi-mission, multi-domain UAV platforms. Using the FCS, the new Saker-1B Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV performs with fully autonomous online and offline operation, from takeoff to landing. Testing included more than 500 hours of day and night test missions under various weather conditions, including extremes of dust and heat. A total of 1,000 hours of take-off and landing test missions were successfully performed, with long-endurance flights lasting up to 19 hours. The Saker-1B is equipped with a satellite communication data link for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operation. The FCS provides sustainability to jamming attacks and advanced data security.
VigilAir is an RF-based system of deployed sensors able to accurately detect, geolocate and track commercial drones and their operators in different environments, including dense urban environments. VigilAir provides extremely sensitive detection and highly accurate geolocation and tracking over very large areas, with virtually zero false-alarms. Being a passive, receive-only system, VigilAir can easily be installed and operated without regulatory or legal limitations. The VigilAir version 2.0 C-UAS (counter unmanned aerial system) is certified by the United Kingdom Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) under the CPNI’s Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Detect, Track and Identify (DTI) testing and evaluation standard. VigilAir generates a comprehensive drone situational awareness which enables users to proactively and intelligently match correct mitigation actions with actual drone threats, on time and with minimal collateral effects.
Xpeller Rapid — the mobile version of the counter UAV solution Xpeller — uses a combination of radar, electro-optical sensors, rangefinders and jammers to protect against threats posed by over-the-counter drones. Xpeller Rapid is either integrated into a vehicle (mast solution) or comes in transport boxes and can be easily set up on tripods. Based on the Xpeller toolkit, the components follow the detect, identify, control and act workflow, defeating hostile drones at ranges up to several kilometers. The system can locate and classify even small hobby drones at a range of several kilometers. High-resolution cameras make it possible to decide whether there is a serious threat so that it can be countered with appropriate countermeasures.
