Tag: drone

Topcon supplies GNSS boards for Atmos drones

The Marlyn Cobalt drone. (Photo: Atmos)

Topcon Positioning Group is supplying high-end GNSS boards for the Atmos Marlyn Cobalt drone.

Topcon’s ultra-compact B111A GNSS receiver board can provide scalable positioning from sub-meter differential GPS to sub-centimeter real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. The board’s flexible design — low power consumption, comprehensive communication interfaces and peripheral support — make it easy to integrate the B111A into any precise positioning application, Topcon said.

Topcon’s B111A GNSS receiver board. (Photo: Topcon)

Besides in surveying and mapping, survey drones are now used in a broad spectrum of applications ranging from construction and mining to agriculture and environmental monitoring.

The Atmos Marlyn Cobalt is a vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) fixed-wing mapping drone developed by Atmos with the goal of allowing users to effortlessly collect accurate geospatial information and turn it into actionable insights. “Our mission is to provide professionals with the tool with which they can plan a better future with precision,” said Ruud Knoops, Atmos CEO.

To provide precise positioning accuracy, a GNSS board needs to compensate for inaccuracies caused by satellite constellations, receiver hardware and atmospheric conditions.

The use of Topnet Live — Topcon’s GNSS real-time correction service — provides high-accuracy positioning and survey-grade results to professionals through a 24/7 cross-border, consistent and reliable access. The combination removes the need for base stations, increasing efficiency leading to higher productivity and decreased costs.

May 25, 2022
FAA awards $4.4 million in drone research grants to 7 universities
Photo: PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced $4.4 million in drone research, education and training grants to seven universities.

Research will focus on three areas:
- electromagnetic compatibility
- detect-and-avoid classifications
- cybersecurity oversight.
“This funding and our ongoing partnerships with these universities will allow the FAA to safely integrate the airspace that has a growing number of diverse aircraft users,” said FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen.

The research initiatives and grant awardees include:

Evaluate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Electromagnetic Compatibility

This research will assess the risks, identify drone design vulnerabilities, identify material and procedural mitigations, and propose guidance for safer electromagnetic compatibility with emitted and static fields.
- University of North Dakota, $325,042
- University of Kansas, $325,000
- Drexel University, $325,830
Investigate Detect-and-Avoid Track Classification and Filtering

This research will provide proposed metrics, guidance and test methods to assess the effects of false or misleading information on detect-and-avoid capabilities. The findings will support beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.
- The Ohio State University, $732,441
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, $371,000
- Mississippi State University, $330,000
- University of North Dakota, $80,000
Illustrate the Need for UAS Cybersecurity Oversight and Risk Management

This research will address UAS cybersecurity oversight and risk management as it pertains to the National Airspace System and other FAA systems.
- University of Kansas, $651,982
- Oregon State University, $609,226
- Drexel University, $608,783
Today’s announcement is the second round of Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) grants, which brings the total of 15 grants valued at $18.3 million for Fiscal Year 2022.

The ASSURE Center of Excellence is one of six that the FAA has established to help advance technology and educate the next generation of aviation professionals. Research conducted through ASSURE is focused on helping the drone market safely grow and integrate into the nation’s airspace.

More than 800,000 recreational and commercial drones are in the active drone fleet, and that number is expected to grow.
April 15, 2022
ESA Navigation Lab showcases multi-receiver UAV

Photo: ESA

The Navigation Laboratory of the European Space Agency (ESA) has acquired an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can carry different types of satellite navigation receivers to collect data for follow-on analysis.

The NavLab, based at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, is focused on the testing, analysis and characterization of navigation systems for both ESA and external customers.

With UAVs representing a rapidly expanding user base, the new UAV is a timely addition to the NavLab’s suite of platforms for testing GNSS technologies and techniques, ESA said. Other tools include static, mobile and pedestrian platforms and a pair of test vans.

Along with receivers and antennas, the UAV can host radio-frequency spectrum samplers and support equipment such as inertial sensors and stereo cameras, allowing the assessment of performance in specific dynamics and environments related to UAV applications, such as approach, landing, flying beside buildings or indoors.

February 10, 2022
Spirent’s new GNSS Foresight checks reliability for BVLOS

Spirent GNSS Foresight predicts where and when unmanned vehicles, air taxis and drones can operate safely and dependably beyond visual line of sight

Spirent Communications plc has launched Spirent GNSS Foresight, a cloud-based solution that lets operators know in advance where and when GPS or GNSS positioning is reliable for unmanned and autonomous journeys.

GNSS Foresight accurately predicts where and when unmanned vehicles, air taxis and drones can operate safely and dependably beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), especially in urban areas where buildings frequently obstruct GNSS signals.

The service addresses a key issue facing developers and operators of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and autonomous vehicles. Because GNSS performance can be unpredictable in urban and suburban areas from signals being obscured or blocked by buildings, autonomous systems have not been able to rely on GNSS for accurate positioning.

GNSS Foresight will be shown publicly for the first time at ION GNSS+ 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri (Sept. 22–24).

“Accurate, reliable GNSS performance is a key enabler of game-changing innovations that are shaping our future — autonomous drones, air taxis, cars and trucks,” said Spirent’s vice president of PNT Assurance, Jeremy Bennington. “GNSS Foresight overcomes navigation and positioning challenges by providing real-world situational awareness ahead of time for pre-flight, or for real-time performance improvement, through a cloud-based service. It can be used to determine areas that are always safe to fly or operate in, in addition to finding the exact time in a degraded area when specific operational requirements can be met. GNSS Foresight enables operators to enhance efficiency, safety and ROI through the resulting operational improvements.”

Spirent GNSS Foresight’s ability to accurately predict where and when autonomous systems will perform enables users to scale operations or services by expanding operational areas, reducing the number of system disengagements, and providing a greater level of safety and reliability assurance when reducing — or ultimately removing — human involvement in the driving or piloting task.

GNSS Foresight can produce forecasts using data from any of the world’s satellite constellations, and is of particular interest to the aviation and UAS sector, as well as the automotive industry. It will be shown publicly for the first time at ION GNSS+ in St Louis (Sept. 22–24).

Image: acavalli/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

September 20, 2021
Tanker drone refuels fighter jet in Navy and Boeing first

An unmanned MQ-25 T1 test asset refueled a third U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft, demonstrating the maturity of the aircraft’s design and performance

The U.S. Navy and Boeing used the MQ-25 T1 test asset on Sept. 13 to refuel a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to achieve its primary aerial refueling mission.

This was the third refueling mission for the Boeing-owned test asset in just over three months, advancing the test program for the Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. T1 refueled an F/A-18 Super Hornet in June and an E-2D Hawkeye in August.

“Every test flight with another type/model/series aircraft gets us one step closer to rapidly delivering a fully mission-capable MQ-25 to the fleet,” said Capt. Chad Reed, the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager. “Stingray’s unmatched refueling capability is going to increase the Navy’s power projection and provide operational flexibility to the Carrier Strike Group commanders.”

During a test flight on Sept. 13, an F-35C test pilot from the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) conducted a successful wake survey behind T1 to ensure performance and stability before making contact with T1’s aerial refueling drogue and receiving fuel.

“This flight was yet another physical demonstration of the maturity and stability of the MQ-25 aircraft design,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “Thanks to this latest mission in our accelerated test program, we are confident the MQ-25 aircraft we are building right now will meet the Navy’s primary requirement — delivering fuel safely to the carrier air wing.”

The T1 flight test program began in September 2019 with the aircraft’s first flight. In the following two years, the test program completed more than 120 flight hours — gathering data on everything from aircraft performance to propulsion dynamics to structural loads and flutter testing for strength and stability.

MQ-25 is benefitting from the two years of early flight test data, which has been integrated back into its digital models to strengthen the digital thread connecting aircraft design, production, test, operations and sustainment.

T1 will be used to conduct a deck handling demonstration aboard a U.S. Navy carrier in the coming months to help advance the carrier integration progress.

Boeing’s MQ-25 T1 test asset transfers fuel to a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet Sept. 13 during a flight-test mission. The Navy and Boeing have conducted three refueling flights in the past three months, including an F/A-18 Super Hornet and E-2D Hawkeye. (Photo: Kevin Flynn/Boeing)

September 15, 2021
Kratos Air Wolf Tactical Drone System completes successful flight at Burns Flat, Oklahoma Range Facility

The Air Wolf just prior to Burns Flat dawn launch. (Photo: Kratos)

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, a provider of national security solutions, has announced that its Air Wolf Tactical Drone System has completed a 100 percent successful flight at the recently approved Burns Flat, Oklahoma Range Facility. The Kratos Air Wolf Mission, which was the inaugural flight at the Burns Flat Range location, included multiple new payloads carried by the Air Wolf UAV, including a proprietary Kratos artificial intelligence/autonomy system, which has been developed by Kratos specifically for high performance, jet UAV aircraft.

Air Wolf is one of several drones in Kratos’ family of jet drones that are flying today, also including the attritable UTAP-22 Mako, XQ-58A Valkyrie, and, in conjunction with the company’s partner Dynetics, the reusable X-61A Gremlins drone. According to the company, the newly approved Burns Flat Test Range and Facility is an important new strategic asset available to it, enabling the company to accelerate its drone testing and demonstration, further increasing its ability to rapidly develop and demonstrate jet drones, supporting subsystems, and other tactical systems and aircraft.

Kratos develops and fields technology, platforms, and systems for United States national security-related customers, allies, and commercial enterprises. The company specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training, combat systems and next generation turbo jet and turbo fan engine development.

September 8, 2021
Auterion and Phase One partner to integrate open drone ecosystem

Photo: Phase One

Auterion, the company building an open and software-defined future for enterprise drone fleets, has partnered with Phase One, a developer and manufacturer of medium and large format aerial photography systems. The companies will make the Phase One P3 Payload lineup easily accessible, with a plug-and-play integration to Auterion’s open drone ecosystem.

Enterprise inspections today are limited to periodic inspections of selected assets in a small geographic area. Enterprises are forced to use either internal drone operators or operators who are trained in the organization’s workflow to effectively collect pertinent data. Scaling the inspections from tens of assets to thousands of assets requires a platform-agnostic, end-to-end, streamlined workflow. This enables drone operators to conduct the inspections across a large region, lowering the cost and increasing the coverage.

Known for its image quality in high-precision and time-critical inspections, Phase One’s P3 Payload consists of a high-resolution 100MP iXM camera—uniquely designed for UAVs—containing a BSI sensor with the highest dynamic range of 83dB, a rangefinder with smart focus, and a broad array of lenses including 35 mm, 80 mm and 150 mm. The partnership joins the P3 Payload’s inspection capabilities with the versatility native to Auterion’s ecosystem of software-defined and connected drones— enabling customers to integrate real-time inspection data into their existing applications and workflows. The P3 Payload is Phase One’s first payload compatible with the Auterion ecosystem.

Drones leveraging the Phase One P3 Payload and the power and connectivity of Auterion’s Skynode and Suite are capable of dramatically scaling high-value, high-risk and time-critical inspections including those of wind turbine fields (on land and offshore), oil refineries and offshore rigs, power masts and utility lines, bridges, dams, nuclear facilities, large infrastructure projects and other use cases. The combination also benefits faster geospatial mapping, bringing world-renowned image quality with very high resolution, dynamic range, color fidelity and geometric accuracy to projects.

Phase One A/S researches, develops, and manufactures medium format and large format digital cameras and imaging systems. Auterion provides enterprise and government with an ecosystem of software-defined drones, payloads, and third-party applications within a single, easy-to-use platform based on open-source standards.

September 3, 2021
Brazil approves SenseFly eBee X for BVLOS operations

Brazil’s Civil Aviation Authority approves Flagship Fixed-wing Drone

The eBee X. (Photo: senseFly)

The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) of Brazil has approved beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights using SenseFly‘s flagship eBee X fixed-wing drone.

ANAC’s decision means that the senseFly eBee X is officially approved for use in future BVLOS missions carried out by Brazilian drone operators. The drone received approval by demonstrating the safety requirements of the ANAC RBAC-E 94 Regulation for Unmanned Aircraft, through detailed engineering analyses and in-depth flight testing. Sensefly worked in collaboration with drone engineering and consulting specialists AL Drones and geotechnology company Santiago & Cintra.

Following the certification, senseFly eBee X operators in Brazil now only require a CAER (Special Airworthiness Certificate for RPA) waiver for the aircraft with Santiago & Cintra before flying BVLOS operations.

“The commercial drone industry in Brazil has been growing at a phenomenal rate. and we’re excited that the senseFly eBee X is at the forefront of these regulatory developments,” said Pierre-Alain Marchand, regulatory compliance manager, senseFly. “BVLOS is becoming an important tool for operators as they start to explore the potential of more advanced drone operations, and we’re pleased that our technology continues to help define frameworks and legislation in the country. Historic approvals passed in recent years has shown us that Brazil is one of the countries to watch for drone commercialization, so continue to watch this space!”

The authorization comes following approval of senseFly’s proprietary drone technology in 2017, where the use of drones for civil applications in Brazil were legislated as part of the RBAC-E94 regulation. SenseFly drones became the first and only in the country permitted to fly 400 feet in height with a 5 kilometer radius from a licensed pilot or observer, in contrast to previous VLOS operations that restricted use of drones to a 500-meter radius.

“The authorization of senseFly’s eBee X for BVLOS operations is another step towards commercialization of the sector,” said André Arruda, co-founder of AL Drones. “After years of collective hard work and effort from all parties, this certification presents a real opportunity for operators in the future to expand their mapping operations and achieve a robust return-on-investment. We look forward to seeing what this means for BVLOS operations in Brazil in the coming years.”

SenseFly’s eBee X fixed-wing drone is designed to suit a wide range of mapping jobs. At 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs.), eBee X is a lightweight, portable solution that is easy for a single person to operate. With an Endurance Extension option enabling a flight time of up to 90 minutes and single-flight coverage of up to 500 ha at 122 m (1,236 A at 400 ft.), the eBee X drone that offers users the high precision of on-demand RTK/PPK for achieving absolute accuracy down to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) without ground control points. This capability makes the eBee X suitable for BVLOS operations such as long corridor mapping missions for utility companies, expansive crop scouting in agriculture and by enterprise customers who desire a robust and professional drone fleet.

July 26, 2021
Skyward collaborates with Pix4D

Screenshot: Skyward

Skyward, a Verizon company, has announced its integration with Pix4D, a photogrammetry software suite for drone mapping. The partnership gives customers the ability to turn drone data into 2D maps and 3D models.

Enterprises and drone pilots can now plan flights, receive FAA approval to fly in controlled airspace (LAANC), fly with Skyward’s InFlight ground control station, and process data using Pix4D from within the Skyward platform.

Skyward Mapping & Modeling, powered by Pix4D, enables customers to create, view, measure, and export 2D orthomosaic maps and 3D photogrammetric models right from Skyward’s web app. With the processing power of Pix4D, Skyward customers can get business-ready data sets through a seamless plan, fly, process workflow.

June 25, 2021
Commercial UAV Expo Europe delayed to January due to COVID-19
Organizers of Commercial UAV Expo Europe have announced that the next edition of the event will take place with Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW) and EASA High Level Conference at RAI Amsterdam Convention Center, Jan. 18-20, 2022.

Previously, the events were scheduled to take place together in December 2021, but the organizers have decided — in close consultation with partners Amsterdam Drone Week and EASA — to delay the event until early 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel and the event industry.

The new date will offer partners, speakers, visitors and delegates more certainty to travel to Amsterdam and thus bring the worldwide UAM/UAS community together. Future editions will revert to the usual December time frame.

“The benefit of co-locating the three events is in bringing the whole drone ecosystem together in one place where professionals can learn, connect and drive the industry forward,” said Lee Corkhill, group event director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Commercial UAV Expo Europe. “Commercial UAV Expo Europe is the leading international trade show and conference in Europe for the commercial drone market delivering sUAS manufacturers and end-users. Amsterdam Drone Week focuses on Urban Air Mobility and the role of cities. The EASA High Level Conference focuses on the stakeholders involved in UTM and regulatory issues.”

During ADW 2021, the EASA High Level Conference will take place on Jan. 18-19 and the Commercial UAV Expo Europe will be held on Jan. 19-20.

ADW will offer a hybrid option in January 2022, meaning content from the ADW mainstage will be broadcast daily, including matchmaking and online speed networking sessions.

In 2020, ADW organized a successful online event. “Although it was a great success given the circumstances, we prefer to see the fast-growing industry around drones and unmanned aircraft back in Amsterdam in person,” said Paul Riemens, CEO RAI Amsterdam. “Bringing people together is part of the DNA of RAI Amsterdam.”

“Innovative Air Mobility is an area of intense activity for EASA. We are steadily putting all the rules in place for these operations and working on certification for these entirely new types of aircraft,” said EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky. “The High Level Conference at ADW is an important platform for discussions with a range of stakeholders on these developments.”

Commercial UAV Expo Europe, taking place as part of Amsterdam Drone Week along with the EASA High Level Conference, is a leading international trade fair and conference in Europe focusing on the integration and operation of commercial UAS. Industries covered include
- Construction
- Drone delivery
- Energy and utilities
- Forestry and agriculture
- Infrastructure and transportation
- Public safety and emergency services
- Security
- Surveying and mapping
The next edition will take place 18-20, 2022 at RAI Amsterdam.

Commercial UAV Expo Europe is presented by Commercial UAV News and organized by Diversified Communications, organizer of Commercial UAV Expo Americas, Geo Week, and Geo Business Show. For information about exhibiting at Commercial UAV Expo contact Katherine Dow, Sales Manager, at [email protected] or +1.207-842-5497. For attending information, visit www.expouav.com or email [email protected].

EASA High Level Conference

The main theme of the EASA High Level Conference will be “UAM Becoming a Reality.” Main topics are:
- Multi-Level Governance of Urban Skies
- Integration of new entrants in Urban Airspace and overall U-space-ATM integration
- Mobility Hubs: drone and eVTOL landing sites and vertiport.
The outcome of EASA Social Acceptance study and status of the implementation of the key findings will be discussed. There will be presentations and discussions on concrete implementation projects.

In addition, educational and technical sessions, workshops and roundtables will be held on, among others, the application of the guidelines related to design verification of UAS, technical requirements on vertiports, counter drones technology and U-Space implementation.

Amsterdam Drone Week

Amsterdam Drone Week is the global platform for sharing knowledge on current air solutions, potential innovations, and vital regulations. Creating valuable connections with all key players, knowledge institutes and authorities to co-create and cooperate to build the UAM ecosystem. Through live and virtual summits, expert sessions and matchmaking, ADW connects the entire UAM value chain around drone regulations, new technology and future solutions.
June 7, 2021
uAvionix receives patent for drones to use ADS-B safety benefits

Image: uAvionix

uAvionix has been granted a patent that aids safe and secure integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS).

U.S. Patent 10,991,260, “Intelligent Non-Disruptive ADS-B Integration for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),” provides the ability for UAS to take advantage of the safety benefits of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcasts (ADS-B) while minimizing spectrum use.

uAvionix first revealed this concept in a 2018 white paper titled “ADS-B Inert and Alert – A Solution to the ADS-B Spectrum Concerns.” The Inert and Alert Concept preserves spectrum by allowing the onboard UAS ADS-B solution to remain inert in a non-broadcasting listening mode until a safety-critical event such as a C2 lost-link or other aircraft proximity triggers it to begin broadcasting its ADS-B position as an alert. Once the conditions are safe again, the system reverts to its inert state.

“uAvionix is a firm believer in the benefits of a cooperative airspace for UAS integration,” said Christian Ramsey, president of uAvionix. “Recognizing the concerns by regulators of over-use of the spectrum, Inert and Alert is a means to leverage ADS-B for collision avoidance while significantly reducing those concerns.”

April 27, 2021
Parrot partners with Rapid Imaging on live AR mapping

Image: Parrot

Drone company Parrot is partnering with Rapid Imaging, a technology provider delivering geospatial augmented reality (AR) and situational awareness solutions to government and enterprise users.

The partnership pairs Parrot ANAFI USA platform drones and the FreeFly SDK with Rapid Imaging’s SmartCam3D SDK, a geospatial augmented reality and situational awareness platform for unmanned aircraft systems.

SmartCam3D overlays geospatial data such as street vectors, road names, points of interest, polygons and other pertinent map entities onto real-time, full-motion video (FMV) provided by ANAFI USA’s 4K HDR video, 32x zoom and live video streaming capabilities. This provides mission personnel with advanced situational awareness as they perform critical drone operations.

SmartCam3D also allows end-users to interact with live drone video in the same ways they would a map display, such as dropping a pin to mark a location or geocoding a selection from the real-time video stream.

These situational awareness capabilities provide opportunities across a variety of mission sets: airborne law enforcement, insurance, industrial inspections, natural disaster response, real estate and search-and-rescue operations.

The SmartCam3D SDK is a turn-key solution for UAS platform providers seeking to enrich their offerings with geospatial augmented reality and situational awareness tools. Features include geospatial AR, allowing users to enjoy a “Google Maps” type experience but with live drone video as the background layer rather than a satellite image. Granular declutter options allow users to select the types of map entities displayed on their live video feed.

Custom GIS data integration allows users to import their own geospatial data to display. Pin-dropping allows users to mark locations within the live video with AR annotations and communicate those locations to a map display.

Also, forward- and reverse-geocoding allow professional drone pilots to designate a point in the video and immediately receive the geospatial data associated with that point (lat/long or address) or designate a location and mark the location with an AR annotation within the video display.

Finally, cross-Cuing allowing end-users to simultaneously navigate a full-motion-video display and map display.

“Leveraging Parrot ANAFI USA’s precise GPS coordinates and advanced flight features, SmartCam3D® provides first responders and military personnel with up-to-date geospatial AR overlays on live video, combining the benefits of both a 2D map display and a Full-Motion-Video display into a single operating picture.” said Jerome Bouvard, director of Strategic Partnerships, Parrot. “This new partnership will provide easy-to-comprehend data to better assist first responders into making quick and accurate decisions during high-stress missions.”

All data captured through SmartCam3D during sensitive missions is secure, as Parrot drone users must opt-in to share flight data with Parrot’s secure to store footage. Parrot ANAFI USA also features secure digital (SD) card encryption, which ensures complete protection of photos and videos if the drone or the SD card is lost.

The SmartCam3D SDK is available for Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows systems for use with ANAFI and ANAFI USA platform drones.

April 27, 2021