uAvionix Corp has launched its first autopilot for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), named George.
At 80 grams, George is a low size, weight and power (SWaP) certifiable solution for enterprise operations and those wishing to type certify their UAS. It is manufactured in the United States.
Built around the open-source autopilot Cube from CubePilot, George combines Cube with Design Assurance Level C (DAL-C) hardware and safety and sensor monitoring, enabling customers to meet the type certification and safety case requirements for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.
George’s triple-redundant inertial measurement unit (IMU) system includes three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, three magnetometers and three barometers, one of which has been TSO-certified under TSO-C88b in other uAvionix products such as skyBeacon, tailBeacon and ping200X. The hardware platform is designed and built to RTCA DO-254 DAL-C and meets rigorous DO-160G and MIL-810H power and environmental qualifications.
George is plug-and-play compatible with all of uAvionix’s certified and uncertified products, including
truFYX GPS (TSO-C145e)
ping200X (TSO-C112e, TSO-C166b, TSO-C88b)
RT-2087/ZPX-B (AIMS MkIIB)
pingRX Pro dual-band ADS-B receiver for detect and avoid
the microLink or SkyLink C-band command and control solutions
“The flight control capabilities of the Cube are superb, backed by hundreds of thousands of man-hours of engineering and experimentation over the past 10 years,” said Paul Beard, CEO of uAvionix. “But what has been lacking is a hardware platform that matches that capability in robust performance. George brings everything we’ve learned about certified avionics to the autopilot space in a way that outperforms existing enterprise and military autopilots in a lower SWaP package.”
George will be available for beta test-launch customers in June with production units available in the third quarter.
Emlid is offering two positioning modules for mapping with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Both the Reach M+ and Reach M2 provide centimeter-level accuracy in real-time kinematic (RTK) and post-processed kinematic (PPK) modes, enabling precise UAV mapping with fewer ground control points.
The Reach M+ single-band receiver has a baseline up to 20 kilometers in PPK. The Reach M2 is a multi-band receiver with a baseline up to 100 kilometers in PPK.
Usually autopilot triggers the camera and records the coordinate it has at that moment. When the drone is flying at 20 m/s and GPS works at 5 Hz, the UAV autopilot will have position readings only every four minutes, which is not suitable for precise georeferencing. In addition, there is always a delay between the trigger and the actual moment the photo is taken.
Reach solves this problem by connecting directly to the camera’s hot-shoe port, which is synced with the shutter. The time and coordinates of each photo are logged with a resolution of less than a microsecond. Reach captures flash sync pulses with sub-microsecond resolution and stores them in a raw data RINEX log in the internal memory. This method allows ground control points to be used only to check accuracy.
The Reach RS2. (Photo: Emlid)
The Reach M2 PPK UAV mapping kit consist of the Reach M2 multi-band GNSS receiver onboard the aircraft that records the location of each photo at a frequency of 20 Hz. It is combined with the Reach RS2 GNSS multi-band receiver on the ground, drastically reducing the number of ground control points and simplifying the setup process on site, while maximizing the accuracy to centimeter levels even in remote areas.
The M2 tracks GPS/QZSS (L1, L2), GLONASS (L1, L2), BeiDou (B1, B2), Galileo (E1, E5) and SBAS (L1C/A), and receives a fixed solution almost instantly.
Precision-mapping company ProStar Holdings Inc. has integrated its PointMan software into the Vivax Metrotech vLoc3 with a GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver to create a utility-locate device.
Using the RTK-Pro internal cellular module with 4G LTE capabilities, the operator can connect to the NTRIP RTK caster that provides RTCM 3 corrections.
With the integration of PointMan with the vLoc3 RTK-Pro, critical buried infrastructure can be captured, recorded and displayed at survey-grade without additional external equipment or post-processing. The integration provides centimeter accuracy of the precise location of buried utilities in real time.
Data collected includes the type of utility, the depth of cover and the utility’s precise location.
Topcon Agriculture is offering new manual guidance and autosteering receivers — the AGM-1 and AGS-2.
Topcon also launched Topnet Live, a real-time GNSS correction service. Under Topnet Live, the Realpoint service provides greater accuracy and a quick start-up time. Starpoint and Starpoint Pro provide service anywhere on the planet, independent of local networks. Skybridge allows subscribers to combine RTK and PPP correction services.
Accurate positioning is the cornerstone of site-specific management. It is not only required for accurate operations, but expansive data collection, enabling farm professionals to compare different types of information, such as yield, soil type and fertility, for better decision making.
The technology is used for machine operations and all associated tasks where tracking location data is relevant to crop optimization, including soil preparation, seeding, crop care and harvesting.
Photo: Topcon
Topnet Live. To support the range of agricultural applications, the receiver and steering controller uses the new Topnet Live correction services. Plus, with the option of Skybridge, users can maintain network connection during any RTK interruption.
“Topcon receivers are designed to suit virtually any agricultural machine type, make and model,” said Brian Sorbe, vice president of global product solutions. “Equipped with progressive reception and tracking capabilities, with the option of manual guidance or complete autosteering, the receivers are suitable for any size or type of operation. With access to the full range of correction services through the AGS-2, Topcon provides farmers with the right fit for their operation with accuracy on demand. Each unique farming operation may have differing accuracy requirements and this approach will benefit their operation.
“Calibrated to accuracies of within two centimeters, the new correction services provide reliable pass-to-pass precision,” Sorbe said. “Through a constantly improving network and variety of cost-effective subscription models, the service delivers reliable connection stability across the globe. With these new offerings, Topcon continues to offer powerful solutions to suit the variable demands of agriculture.”
As illustrated here, the new HG1125 IMU is about the size of a water-bottle cap. (Photo: Honeywell)
Honeywell has launched a new series of miniature inertial measurement units (IMUs) ruggedized to offer high accuracy along with the durability to survive high-shock environments.
Roughly the size of a water-bottle cap, the new HG1125 and HG1126 IMUs are low cost and serve both commercial and military applications.
The new family of IMUs can survive shocks up to 40,000 G-force, making it one of Honeywell’s toughest IMU products to date. The HG1125 and HG1126 can be used for a variety of defense and commercial applications such as tactical military needs, drilling, unmanned aerial vehicles or navigation systems for general aviation aircraft.
“Low-cost, ultra-rugged IMUs are in high demand across a variety of market segments where customers need high-performance navigation, but they’re limited by size or cost constraints,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager, Navigation & Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace. “Our new HG1125 and HG1126 products meet all of these requirements, making them an ideal solution for customers operating in a wide variety of high-shock environments, including everything from military tactical operations to industrial applications such as drilling.”
An IMU uses gyroscopes, accelerometers and electronics to give precise rotation and acceleration data. This enables a vehicle system to calculate where it is, in what direction it is going, and at what speed, even when GPS signals are not available.
The HG1125 and HG1126 use sensors based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to precisely measure motion. They are the newest IMUs from Honeywell’s tactical IMU production facility, which delivers nearly 100,000 IMUs each year to customers across a wide range of segments.
The first deliveries of these new products are set to begin in June.
Honeywell’s lineage in navigation dates to the 1920s, and it has long been a pioneer in MEMS-based IMUs. Honeywell has developed and manufactured high-performance navigation solutions found on many aircraft and other vehicles worldwide.
Zala Aero Group unveiled a new unmanned system for long-distance flights — the Zala 421-16E5G — at the closed exhibition Zala Expo, which began on April 19 in Moscow.
The Zala 421-16E5G is a domestic unmanned aerial vehicle with a hybrid power plant. The non-aerodrome-based system is capable of providing aerial monitoring over distances of more than 150 kilometers and staying in the air for more than 12 hours.
The Zala 421-16E5G has a unique power plant that charges a buffer battery for an hour. The power plant allows the UAV to fly long distances. During production test flights, the Zala 421-16E5G flew 16 hours.
The unmanned system is equipped with a combined payload with two thermal imagers and a 60x video camera. Optionally, the Zala 421-16E5G is capable of carrying a payload weighing up to 10 kg. The video stream is broadcast in high-definition format (1280 x 720 resolution), which allows the ground-station operator to view the streaming image in great detail.
In addition to optoelectronic loads, the device is equipped with electronic reconnaissance equipment and communication repeaters. Objects are detected and recognized in real time by the onboard computer based on artificial intelligence.
U-blox is partnering with ArduSimple, a Spanish company seeking to facilitate the adoption of centimeter-level GNSS technology for mass-market applications.
The companies partnered to develop the SimpleRTK2B single-board computer (SBC). The device, which is built around up to three u-blox ZED-F9P high-precision GNSS receivers, simplifies the development of centimeter-level positioning solutions supporting real-time kinematics (RTK), making the technology accessible to broader audiences.
The SimpleRTK2B-SBC was developed to make RTK technology as close to plug-and-play as possible. In addition to working as a stand-alone solution, customers can program their own applications with the company’s microPython API.
The SimpleRTK2B-SBC delivers mechanical integration with centimeter position on three axes (heading, pitch and roll), outputting on NMEA, RTCM, RS232 and CANBus interfaces via Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 2G/3G/4G communication. It offers configurable input/output and an inertial measurement unit.
Inertial Labs has released a new generation of GPS-aided inertial navigation systems (INS) for applications such as UAVs, helicopters and lidar surveys.
The company also has released two new inertial measurement units (IMUs) for measuring angular rates and accelerations for motionless and dynamic applications.
INS-DH-OEM
The INS-DH-OEM. (Photo: Inertial Labs)
The high-accuracy INS-DH-OEM is designed for easy integration into custom enclosures and higher order integrated system applications. It combines the HoneywellHG4930 inertial measurement unit (IMU) into a GPS-aided INS to provide high-accuracy orientation, position, velocity and timing for land and aerial systems.
Consisting of three axes each of high-precision accelerometers and gyroscopes, the accuracy of the HG4930 plays a key role in the exceptional performance of the INS-DH-OEM. With input from the IMU, the INS-DH-OEM has a pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.015 degrees real-mean-squared (RMS) for dynamic applications, and a pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.01 degrees for motionless applications.
Another key factor for the INS-DH-OEM is its use of the NovAtelOEM7720 dual-antenna GNSS receiver. The OEM7720 is an all-constellation, multi-frequency heading and positioning solution with TerraStar PPP correction services and advanced interference mitigation features.
With aiding data from the OEM7720, the INS-DH-OEM features a 2-meter baseline heading accuracy of 0.05 degrees RMS for both static and dynamic applications. As a result, the INS-DH-OEM is a high-performance solution in line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight antenna-pointing applications.
A reliable solution in varying environments, the OEM7720 ensures that the INS-DH-OEM is outputting the most accurate GNSS-aided data by supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC (IRNSS), and QZSS constellations.
The INS-DH-OEM can be applied in a wide range of aerial applications such as remote sensing, flight control and photogrammetry in which the INS-DH-OEM provides accurate positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) data for multi-rotor drones, fixed-wing drones and other UAVs performing these tasks. This data is paramount in the accuracy of these applications’ deliverables such as point clouds, orthomosaics and photogrammetric plots.
Weighing 280 grams and measuring 85.7 x 62.5 x 52.0 mm, the INS-DH-OEM is a lightweight, compact system that can be fitted with custom enclosures or integrated into higher order systems such as lidar payloads. It is compatible with scanners from many lidar manufacturers: Livox, Velodyne, Ouster and Quanergy. This adaptability, coupled with top-of-the-line subcomponents and Inertial Labs’ sensor-fusion expertise, make the INS-DH-OEM the suitable for UAVs, UGVs, antenna pointing, and many more applications.
INS-U
The INS-U. (Photo: Inertial Labs)
The new INS-U GPS-aided INS with air data computer (ADC) output signal is based on a u-blox module.
The INS-U a fully integrated INS, attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), IMU and air data computer high-performance strapdown system that determines position, navigation and timing information for any device on which it is mounted.
The INS-U utilizes a single antenna, multi-constellation U-Blox GNSS receiver. With access to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, the INS-U can be used in a variety of GPS-enabled environments and is protected against spoofing and jamming. Additionally, the INS-U is comprised of two barometers, a miniature gyro-compensated fluxgate compass, and tri-axis temperature calibrated advanced MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes. These high-performance sensors, along with Inertial Labs’ new on-board sensor fusion filter, state of the art guidance and navigation algorithms, provide accurate position, velocity, and orientation of the device under measure.
Perhaps the most defining feature of the INS-U is its embedded ADC. An essential avionics component for modern UAV applications, an ADC outputs static & dynamic pressure, pressure altitude, calibrated & true airspeed, true angle of attack, rate of climb, and wind speed of the device under measure. This data, combined with inertial reference information, provides UAVs with accurate information about the unit and its relation to its environment.
By using data from an INS, AHRS, IMU and ADC, the INS-U provides a complete navigation solution for UAV and Helicopter applications. The unit can use time-of-flight aiding data from a ground station for long term GNSS-denied conditions as well as external position and heading so it can still output accurate PNT information regardless of the environment.
The INS-U is a lightweight and compact solution with dimensions of 82 x 40 x 26 mm and a weight of less than 200 grams. This, along with an IP67 environmental enclosure, ensures that the INS-U can meet the environmental requirements and size and weight restrictions of a wide range of applications.
IMU-NAV-100
The IMU-NAV-100. (Photo: Inertial Labs)
The IMU-NAV-100 is a tactical grade IMU for wide range of higher order integrated system applications.
The newest addition to the Inertial Labs Advanced MEMS sensor-based family, the IMU-NAV-100, is now the best performing IMU that Inertial Labs offers. The IMU-NAV-100 is a fully integrated inertial solution that measures linear accelerations, angular rates, and pitch and roll with high accuracy utilizing three-axis high-grade MEMS accelerometers and three-axis tactical grade MEMS gyroscopes.
The IMU-NAV-100 features continuous built-in test, configurable communications protocols, electromagnetic interference protection, and flexible input power requirements which allow it to be easily integrated in a variety of higher order systems.
The IMU-NAV-100 line contains two options to accommodate a variety of projects.
The IMU-NAV-100-S is best for projects that require high performance stabilization for antenna and line-of-sight stabilization systems, motion control sensors, and platform orientation and stabilization systems. With a gyroscope angular random walk of 0.04 deg/√hr, the IMU-NAV-100-S is specialized to provide accurate data for stabilization applications.
The IMU-NAV-100-A is best used in a variety of systems such as GPS-aided INS, AHRS, and motion reference units. Regardless of the application, the IMU-NAV-100 is the company’s best performing IMU to date, providing a pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.03 deg RMS. Fully calibrated, temperature compensated, and mathematically aligned to an orthogonal coordinate system, the IMU contains up to 0.5 deg/hr bias in-run stability gyroscopes and 0.003 mg bias in-run stability accelerometers with very low noise and high reliability.
CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) has released the AlphaAir 450 (AA450) lidar system, a lightweight, compact all-in-one sensor for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Featuring an inertial measurement unit (IMU), GNSS, 3D scanner and camera, the AlphaAir 450 solution is suitable for power-line inspections, topographic mapping, emergency response, agricultural and forestry surveys. The unit is easy to use, and can be rapidly deployed in the field to collect geospatial data.
“Despite the fact that the lidar scanning is an efficient technology to capture 3D data, it still often remains costly and complex to operate,” said Andrei Gorb, product manager of CHC Navigation’s Mobile Mapping Division. “Taking that into account, we introduce the AlphaAir 450 (AA450), a breakthrough lidar scanner that delivers user-friendly and high-accuracy capabilities at a reasonable price.”
Key aspects of the AlphaAir 450
Lightweight. The lidar’s weight is a constraint for any drone. The AlphaAir 450 weighs 1 kg, which is suitable to most drones’ payload requirements. The lighter the unit, the longer the operating time of the drone, and the greater the productivity. The AlphaAir 450 can be easily mounted on UAVs, making data capture efficient.
Advanced Accuracy. By combining industrial-grade GNSS with a high-precision IMU, the AlphaAir 450 can easily achieve an absolute accuracy of 5 cm (vertical) and 10 cm (horizontal) for small survey areas — typically adequate for the most use cases. To further improve precision and accuracy, users can apply adjustment algorithms in the CHCNAV CoPre software.
Industrial Reliability. Featuring IP64 high-level protection, the AlphaAir 450 extends its operating temperature capabilities, down to –20° C and up to +50° C in any field environment. This can increase users’ return on investment by providing more field survey days in a year.
DJI now offers dual UAV controllers. Dual operator mode allows a pilot to focus solely on safe operation of the drone, while another operator can focus on payload operations — creating a 3D scan of a location, hoisting or releasing items, or operating a lidar scanner or air-quality sampler.
The DJI Inspire 2 and M600 have dedicated forward-facing video feeds so pilots can see where they are flying, regardless of what the payload camera or other sensors are doing.
Dual controls can ensure safe operation remains the top priority of even a complex and challenging drone flight.
Altitude Angel, a unified traffic management (UTM) technology provider, is bringing to market airspace management solution GuardianUTM Enterprise.
GuardianUTM Enterprise provides a view of the airspace in the vicinity of airports and enables airport to start designing and providing UTM services for drone companies and drone operators, using Altitude Angel’s proven digital authorization and flight-management technology.
GuardianUTM Enterprise will initially be deployed to support regional and local airports and airfields.
Europe’s EASA U-Space regulations are expected to become law on Jan. 1, 2023. GuardianUTM Enterprise is designed to enable airspace authorities to digitize approvals for drone operations using services integrated with Common Information Service (CIS) and U-Space Service Providers (USSP) architectures.
Using GuardianUTM Enterprise, airports can set access policies and create automation workflows accessible via Altitude Angel’s UTM ecosystem. This ecosystem is used by hundreds of thousands of drone pilots, manufacturers and software companies to guarantee the airport the best available view of the sky and nearby drone operations, ensuring a growing sector of the aviation market is able to access the new airport UTM Service.
For larger airports with counter-UAS solutions, data from on-site surveillance systems can be optionally integrated to give airport security staff greater situation intelligence which is a critical step in encouraging greater drone use.
The solution can be rapidly deployed and configured for airports of any size; providing a flexible platform for enabling drones to be safely integrated in the airspace around these facilities: a crucial step in unlocking a wide variety of unique use-cases for drones.
GuardianUTM Enterprise provides digitalization of pre-flight and take-off approvals to drone operators within airspace. It offers high levels of automation, including customized automated access policies and approval workflows of unmanned operations.
Dual-frequency timing module provides anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities
Photo: Trimble
Trimble has introduced its first dual-frequency embedded timing module that provides next-generation networks with 5-nanosecond accuracy.
Surface mountable, the Trimble RES 720 GNSS timing module can be integrated into network equipment. It uses L1 and L5 GNSS signals to provide superior protection to jamming and spoofing, mitigates multipath in harsh environments, and adds security features to make it suitable for resilient networks.
Precise timing and synchronization optimizes and improves wireless network performance. At 19 x 19 millimeters, the RES 720 module provides a low-cost, easy-to-use, highly accurate and reliable GPS timing source for critical infrastructure in a broad range of industries. The RES 720 is suitable for 5G Open RAN/XHaul, smart grids, data centers, industrial automation and satellite communication networks, as well as calibration services and perimeter monitoring applications.
The RES 720 meets the resilient timing requirement mandated by the U.S. 2020 Executive Order (EO13095) for timing services and critical infrastructure operators. Using dual-frequency (L1 and L5), RES 720 provides better multipath detection capabilities than single frequency, and provides protection against signal jamming and spoofing. Multi-band capability helps compensate for the ionospheric error from multi-GNSS satellite constellations, while reducing the timing error under clear skies to less than 5 nanoseconds. To further improve its accuracy locally, the RES 720 module features differential timing modes for highly accurate local timing.
Powered by Trimble’s Smart GNSS Assurance technology, the RES 720 offers protection against jamming and hacking of signals with automatic fallback to available GNSS signals. Infrastructure equipment suppliers, system integrators and network operators can benefit by integrating highly accurate synchronization capabilities into their network and synchro-phasor devices, while enabling resilient timing for critical infrastructure.
The RES 720 is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2021.
