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.
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.
DroneSentry-C2 with Nearmap location data. (Screenshot: DroneShield)
DroneShield Limited, an Australian/U.S. global leader in artificial-intelligence-based platforms for protection against advanced threats such as drones and autonomous systems, has announced an enhanced version of its DroneSentry-C2 command-and-control software in partnership with location intelligence firm Nearmap.
Nearmap provides city-scale 3D content, artificial-intelligence data sets, geospatial tools, and high-resolution aerial imagery in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
DroneSentry-C2 provides an intuitive and feature-rich software platform, providing counter-UAS awareness and reporting capability. It integrates both DroneShield and third-party C-UAS sensors and effectors. Those include multiple AI-enabled sensing and tracking products, such as RfOne long-range direction-finding sensors for UAS detection and tracking, and camera-agnostic DroneOptID optical/thermal camera AI software.
DroneSentry-C2 will come with a standard mapping solution for cost-sensitive customers, and an optional Nearmap mapping upgrade for mapping data for markets requiring high performance, such as government, intelligence, Homeland Security and defense.
The software comes as an on-premises, air-gapped solution for intelligence, Homeland Security and defense users, or secure cloud for enterprise customers. The on-premises solution also includes a high-grade physical server. Both options come with regular mapping updates, including the ability for the user to load their own maps for sensitive locations.
“One of DroneShield’s differentiators is that we are both a sensor manufacturer and an integrator,” said Oleg Vornik, DroneShield CEO. “Providing a streamlined and standardized hardware / software bundle that gives our user community an easy-to-deploy and run command-and-control software will be critical as more fixed and pop-up site users seek to deploy counter-UAS products. Importantly, the offering is already validated by deployments such as U.S. Air Force and Australian Army, among a number of other tier 1 end users globally.”
ST Engineering, Sumitomo Corp. and Skyports have formed a consortium to provide unmanned aircraft system (UAS) services for heavy-lift shore-to-ship parcel delivery in Singapore, home to one of the biggest ports in the world
Each consortium member will use its respective operational and technological capabilities to expand the use of UAS for deliveries of maritime essentials to anchored vessels. During a nine-month pilot program, the consortium will engage key customers for maritime UAS deliveries, with the goal of establishing a delivery network capable of carrying parcel payloads of 10 kg.
ST Engineering will provide the UAS technology using its end-to-end solution DroNet. Skyports will jointly conduct the beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight operations with ST Engineering. Sumitomo Corporation will provide go-to-market support, including its own fleet of vessels.
As an unmanned systems participant in Singapore, ST Engineering has been testing and developing autonomous solutions to enable BVLOS UAS operations for shore-to-ship delivery in close collaboration with regulators and industry partners.
Through funding support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the group completed the initial development of a UAS for shore-to-ship parcel delivery based on the DroNet solution.
Compared to the traditional form of delivery by boats, UAS operations can significantly slash response time and speed up turnaround for shore-to-ship delivery, in addition to reducing logistics costs. Replacing launch-boat delivery with a UAS service also helps reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the maritime industry’s overall efforts to operate sustainably.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the December 2021 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
Satellite-cell terminal
With built-in GPS receiver
Photo: OQ
OQ Technology’s dual-mode satellite-cellular IoT modem and tracker is a plug-and-play, small, low-cost and low-power solution that can collect data from more than 1,000 sensors. It has a built-in GPS receiver and supports 5G NB-IoT, GSM, LTE-M and bi-directional satellite links. The flexible, robust and programmable dual-mode terminal has pre-paid data packages suitable for remotely monitoring and controlling fixed and mobile assets in industries such as transportation, oil and gas, utilities, and maritime.
Provides mission-critical, extended length GPS over fiber
Photo: ViaLite
ViaLite’s GPS over Fiber Extension Kit for Microchip/Microsemi GPS timing servers provides mission-critical GPS timing and synchronization for systems requiring extremely accurate clock signals. Standard transmission distances for the extension kit can be up to 10 km, while solutions are available for distances as long as 50 km. The ViaLite kit was chosen for its unique performance with Microsemi’s S650 timing server. The ViaLite GPS link is designed to provide a remote GPS/GNSS signal or derived timing reference to equipment located where no signal is available, such as inside buildings or tunnels. By using optical fiber instead of traditional coaxial cable, extreme distances are possible with no radio frequency loss and zero introduction of noise.
The RELY-MIL-TIME-SERVER, which complies with MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461G, embeds the latest timing, networking and security technology in a single SWaP platform. The all-in-one rugged edge computing device acts as a high-performance master clock and serves secure accurate timing distribution (PTP, NTP, GNSS). The timing feature is combined with high-bandwidth and high-availability Ethernet switching and L2/L3 cybersecurity services in a unique commercial-off-the-shelf device. At its heart is a Xilinx Ultrascale+ MPSoC device powered by SoC-e hardware IP cores for PTP and high-availability low-latency Ethernet networking.
The M-G370PDS0 inertial measurement unit (IMU) is equipped with a high-performance six-axis sensor. It has an angle random walk (short-term variation in output) of 0.03°/√h, which is half that of its predecessor, and can more accurately detect very slight changes in the attitude of equipment and systems, since they do not get lost in sensor noise. The small size, light weight and low power consumption will help customers make their own products smaller and lighter. It also maintains compatibility with earlier products (the M-G370/365/364/354), making performance upgrades easy.
The OSA 5400 SyncModule enables technology suppliers to integrate precise synchronization into their hardware. Its M.2 form factor can add timing capabilities to switches, routers, open compute servers and other IT devices. The SyncModule provides GNSS, precision time protocol (PTP) and network time protocol (NTP) engines as well as comprehensive PTP and GNSS monitoring and assurance functionality. It can enable assured sub-microsecond timing in public and private networks as well as critical infrastructure. Featuring multiple interface options for easy integration, the OSA 5400 SyncModule comes with an open API. It also can be managed by ADVA’s proven Ensemble Sync Director management system.
Running on Microsoft Windows, u-center 2 offers anyone working with 10th-generation (M10) u-blox GNSS technology a highly intuitive interface to configure GNSS products, evaluate their performance, improve the quality of their software, and experience the performance boost achieved using GNSS-related services. The software is the successor to the u-center GNSS evaluation software, which has been used by design engineers for almost two decades to develop GNSS receiver applications. Compatible with u-blox M10 GNSS technology, u-center 2 is designed to offer improved performance over its predecessor. New features in u-center 2 simplify configuration, evaluation and software development of GNSS-based solutions. It is free for download.
The MEA-1227-SM is a GNSS/L1 and L2 low-profile screw-mount antenna. It has high performance suitable for maintaining constant network connectivity. The MEA-1227-SM covers all GPS/GLO/BEI/ QZSS/Galileo/SBAS/L1L2 standard frequencies. It is designed for telematics systems, remote surveillance, asset tracking and any internet of things (IoT) system applications. This screw mount antenna is easy to install, with a low profile suitable for challenging installations. It has a IP67-rated housing and anti-rotation mounting.
The Cowboy e-bike solution provides riders with high-performance, real-time GNSS accuracy, enabling them to map their own paths and those of the cities in which they live. It uses smart road-companion applications to ensure riders get precise information, regardless of the route they travel. The positioning component uses Taoglas’ Accura GVLB258.A, a multi-band GNSS L1/L5, high-performance stacked patch antenna, in conjunction with u-blox’s SAM-M8Q GNSS positioning module. The combination allows for extremely low power and high accuracy. The solutions works with “micromobility” services offered by Cowboy, such as Easy Rider for theft detection, bike insurance and crash detection notifications.
Instant decimeter-level accuracy with automotive sensors
Photo: Profound Positioning
The Profound-IVT (instant vehicle tracking) provides cost-effective vehicle navigation. Based on a firmware library, and rapidly adaptable to any navigation platform, IVT combines precise point GNSS positioning (PPP), dead reckoning and radar technologies in an integrated solution to provide decimeter-level positioning accuracy plus orientation and velocity. IVT performs in tunnels, dense urban environments, multi-level highway junctions and parking garages. With errors <1% of distance travelled, resolution is extremely rapid. Base stations are not required and there are no operating range limitations. Applications include driver assistance, mobility and taxi, autonomous vehicles, geofencing, fleet tracking, insurance, driving and safety management, and connected driving.
Off-the-shelf map data through the HxGN Content Program
Photo: Hexagon
Metro HD city data is a new offering of ultra-high-resolution 2D and 3D digital twins of major cities. Metro HD expands the data stack to include high-definition true orthophotos, obliques, digital terrain models, lidar point clouds, 3D building models (LOD2), 3D meshes and land-use maps. Cities captured in 2021 include Munich, Cologne, Vienna, Milan, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Tokyo, Dallas, New York, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. More cities will be added in early 2022. The program uses a hybrid urban mapping sensor, the Leica CityMapper-2, that concurrently collects lidar and aerial imagery. The derived products, based on the strength of each subsystem, result in superior accuracy and temporal consistency across all three data dimensions.
Bad Elf LLC and Laser Tech are providing an integrated laser offset workflow for acquiring high-accuracy field data in GNSS-challenged environments. The new workflow integrates Bad Elf and LTI hardware in collaboration with ArcGIS technology from Esri. The Bad Elf Flex GNSS receiver connects to any LTI TruPulse rangefinder over a wired or Bluetooth connection to deliver high-accuracy location data to Esri ArcGIS Field Maps. Field workers can now efficiently complete position and height data collection in access-limited situations, saving time, money and effort. The Bad Elf app workflow runs on Android and iOS.
Geo-genie is a cloud-based collaborative and professional mapping and surveying platform enabling customization and creation of geocentric information systems. Teamed with Handheld’s Algiz RT8 rugged field tablet, it streamlines work and allows non-professionals to perform accurate geodetic mapping, guiding and monitoring of their data collection. The platform enables organizations to have an advanced, professional surveying and GIS platform with customized procedural workflows, management of user hierarchies, and integration with other organizational information systems. Geo-genie can connect with professional surveying equipment, such as GPS and total stations, and integrates data into a cloud-based central database with no restriction for specific data-collection hardware.
The wireless GNSS amplifier LogBuch+ increases the accuracy of location data with the cloud-based LogBuch application. The app enables voice-based digital mapping via a smartphone app, such as for the maintenance of trees. The compact device receives satellite signals on several radio frequencies, delivering significantly more precise data than a smartphone alone. Foresters can carry the GNSS amplifier in a pocket and digitally mark trees for felling using the LogBuch app.
The YellowScan Explorer lidar can be mounted on a light manned aircraft or helicopter, as well as a UAV platform such as the DJI M300. This versatility allows the end user to tackle a wide range of projects with the same unit. It uses an Applanix APX-20UAV GNSS/inertial solution and has a precision of 2.6 cm and an accuracy of 2.2 cm. Its high-power laser scanner can catch points up to 600 meters away. Flight operation speed is 5–35 m/s; it is capable of above-ground-level altitude up to 300 m. The low-weight unit (2.3 kg without battery) can be combined with YellowScan’s suite of software to extract and process point cloud data for surveying, forestry, environmental research, archaeology, industrial inspection, civil engineering and mining sectors.
The DJI Mavic 3 improves on its predecessor with better sensors, a dual-camera system, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, smarter flight modes and longer flight times. A powerful positioning algorithm improves hovering precision with signals from GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellites, enabling the drone to lock onto multiple satellite signals faster. The increased positioning precision also makes the drone less likely to drift in the air and more stable when shooting long exposures and time lapses. The Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 5.0 combines inputs from six fish-eye vision sensors and two wide-angle sensors to sense obstacles in all directions and plan safe flight routes.
Conduct missions, manage fleets and view video feeds
Photo: SkyGrid
SkyGrid’s autonomous remote UAV operations solution enables drone operators to remotely conduct missions, control flights, manage fleets and view live video feeds. Using artificial intelligence and airspace-related data feeds, SkyGrid enables safe remote operations, whether conducting routine inspections or generating optimal flight paths. Advanced route generation capabilities create the safest route for each drone based on the flight plan, environmental conditions, the vehicle’s performance, and the mission criteria with minimum on-site support required. SkyGrid Launch allows video feeds from drones to be consolidated to a remote central location, such as a ground station.
The Sicura EG-1100 is a heavy-lift, long endurance, single-rotor helicopter. Now in its third generation, the helicopter can haul 15 pounds. It cruises at 55 knots. The EG-1100 is available in both electric and gas engine configurations, with an endurance at 3.5 hours on gasoline and 1 hour on electric power. The new gas engine is the high-performing and efficient Skypower 110, tuned to the craft’s internally developed chassis and rotor blades. It offers stable performance in challenging environmental conditions, exceptionally stable flight and immediate flight response for image capture and lidar operations. Multiple payload sets can be carried in one flight.
The Spirit dual-rotor coaxial unmanned aerial system (UAS) is a versatile and durable system for mission-critical operations. Combined with a fully modular, plug-and-play payload design, the Spirit’s open architecture allows operators to easily add or upgrade software to unlock new operating capabilities without the need to design or develop a new aircraft. It has an all-weather airframe. With nearly 10 pounds available for batteries and payloads, Spirit sets the new standard for performance in its weight class. Setup is quick and easy, allowing for takeoff from any type of terrain. The highly streamlined all-weather airframe has a top speed of 60 miles per hour and can operate in high winds. Payloads and batteries can be mounted or stacked on the top or bottom point.
RedTail Lidar Systems has delivered six lidar systems to the 707th Ordnance Company stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The systems will provide explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians an opportunity to assess how lidar can be used to enhance their operations.
The RedTail Lidar Systems RTL-450 was integrated onto the Teledyne FLIR SkyRaider unmanned aerial system (UAS) to address a broad range of the EOD community’s 3D mapping needs. Captain William R. Hartman, the commander of the 707th EOD Company, stated that the highlight of the testing was using the lidar system to map terrain.
The RTL-450 also can be used to calculate crater volumes from improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, perform route planning for unmanned ground vehicles, aid in mission planning, and conduct surveillance. The 3D point clouds generated allow operating areas to be viewed from any perspective using the rotation and zoom capabilities provided within the viewer software.
The underlying lidar technology used in the RTL-450 was licensed from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). The micro-electromechanical (MEMS) mirror-based design provides enhanced 3D imagery suitable for applications where artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms can be used for target detection and classification, because of the high point density of the point clouds.
The system can operate in either a raster scan mode for surveillance missions or a side-to-side line scan mode for area mapping while the UAS is flying. The intuitive command and control, high brightness display integrated into the ground control station (GCS), and real-time 3D map generation allows operators to begin mission planning and analysis even before the mapping or surveillance missions are completed.
“Delivering these six lidar systems to EOD technicians for test and evaluation is a significant step forward in using MEMS mirror-based lidar technology to address a broad range of Department of Defense 3D mapping needs,” said said Brad DeRoos, president and CEO of RedTail Lidar Systems. In addition, this delivery represents a true success story in transitioning a technology out of a Department of Defense laboratory and back into the hands of military operators.”
Wingcopter drones recently transported blood samples 26 kilometers (16 miles) between Greifswald and Wolgast, Germany. The flights were carried out by Greifswald University Medical Center in cooperation with DRF Luftrettung and Wingcopter as part of the MV|LIFE|DRONE Challenge (MVLD-Challenge) project of the hospital’s Department of Anesthesiology.
The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Energy, Infrastructure and Digitalization of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, is a partnership between University Medical Center Greifswald and DRF Luftrettung. The goal of the project is to improve structures of regional emergency care by integrating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS, Unmanned Aerial Systems) into the rescue chain and into medical emergency transports.
The flights beyond the pilots’ visual line of sight (BVLOS) carried a pneumatic tube including 250 grams of blood samples. The Wingcopter completed the 26-kilometer route in an average of 18 minutes, nearly twice as fast as ground-based transport.
The use of Wingcopter drones could significantly speed up emergency medical care in rural areas and help save lives. In the event of a blood transfusion being necessary at short notice, for example, blood samples from Wolgast District Hospital must be transported to Greifswald University Hospital for analysis in order to determine the appropriate donor blood.
“With this project, we have demonstrated that we can also improve medical care and quality of life in rural areas in Germany,” said Ansgar Kadura, co-founder and CSO of Wingcopter. “With our new unmanned aerial vehicle, the Wingcopter 198, this can be carried out even more efficiently in the future. We look forward to continued collaboration with the project team at the Department of Anesthesiology as part of the MV|LIFE|DRONE Challenge and beyond.”
The Greifswald University Medical Center seeks to establish permanent flight connections between the medical center in Greifswald and hospitals in the surrounding area as soon as possible. Drones can also be used to support first responders on site by quickly transporting medications, transfusions or emergency medical equipment such as defibrillators to the scene of an accident.
Northrop Grumman and Martin UAV (a Shield AI company) have completed successful flight testing of a V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with new features including GPS-denied navigation and target designation capabilities.
The enhanced V-BAT’s flexible vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability is based on a platform deployed to address the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) mission. For FTUAS, the U.S. Army is seeking a rapidly deployable, GPS-denied navigation-capable, expeditionary VTOL system capable of persistent aerial reconnaissance for U.S. Army brigade combat teams, special forces, and Ranger battalions.
The offering is based on Martin’s UAV V-BAT UAS. According to Northrop Grumman, it is compact, lightweight, simple to operate, and can be set up, launched and recovered by a two-soldier team in confined environments. The V-BAT also is designed with sufficient payload capacity to carry a range of interchangeable payloads, including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic warfare (EW) payloads, depending on mission-specific requirements. Additionally, Shield AI’s recent acquisition of Martin UAV will enable rapid development of GPS-denied and autonomy capabilities for V-BAT through the future porting of Shield AI’s autonomy stack, Hivemind, onto V-BAT.
Northrop Grumman and Martin UAV conduct flight testing of Martin UAV’s V-BAT aircraft for the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System effort in Camp Grafton, North Dakota. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
uAvionix Corp. has received a Technical Standard Order (TSO) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its truFYX GPS receiver for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Capable of receiving satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) and wide area augmentation system signals, the receiver specifically targets UAS platform navigation and surveillance solutions.
With an increased regulatory focus on certifiability of UAS for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, truFYX provides a critical component to enable safe navigation and airspace integration. A uAvionix’s blog article — “Why Certified GPS with Integrity for UAS Navigation Matters” — describes the importance of GPS receivers for UAS BVLOS operations.
The TSO-C145e Class Beta 1 GPS weighs 20 grams, which includes the receiver, antenna, DO-160G power supply and interface protection circuits. A Class Beta 1 GPS enables the truFYX to be the primary position source for domestic enroute and terminal navigation, as well as the primary position source for ADS-B OUT solutions.
The Source Integrity Level 3, System Design Assurance 2 system ensures reception and processing by Air Traffic Control and Traffic Collision Avoidance System when used as a position source for ADS-B. For these reasons, the Airbus Zephyr program was announced as a truFYX launch customer in January.
A certified position source for UAS navigation reduces position error by implementing a strict Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) / Fault Detection and Exclusion (FDE) engine, and processing advanced SBAS messages designed to improve accuracy and integrity. These systems combine to detect unhealthy GPS satellite transmissions and remove them from the position calculation, providing critical differentiation from a typical commercial GPS receiver.
Design Assurance Level C software and hardware is achieved through the use of RTCA DO-178C and DO-254 engineering processes. As with all uAvionix TSO certified avionics, truFYX is manufactured in Montana under an FAA Manufacturing Inspection District Office approved quality-control process and facility.
truFYX technology has been previously TSO-certified in several form factors, including the highly integrated and complex skyBeacon, tailBeacon and tailBeaconX platforms.
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.
uAvionix has added a new low-SWaP transponder to its line-up of unmanned aerial system (UAS) communications, navigation and surveillance solutions.
The ping200XR integrates the capability of the ping200X TSO Certified Mode S ADS-B OUT transponder with the high-integrity truFYX TSO-certified GPS position source into a single enclosure. The single enclosure simplifies installation and allows the customer to choose between the existing installed GPS antenna or one provided with the ping200XR.
The integrated GPS ensures maximum safety by providing Source Integrity Level (SIL) 3 RTCA DO-229D and TSO-C145e Class Beta 1 performance, a requirement for Mode S and ADS-B airspace access, and for reception and processing by certified avionics and Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) in other aircraft, as well as Air Traffic Control (ATC). SIL 3 performance is not available from non-aviation certified GPS, which are often used as an autopilot navigation source.
The ping200XR can be integrated with popular onboard UAS autopilots for dynamic control from ground-control stations, including George — uAvionix’s enterprise autopilot solution. The ping200XR can also be pre-configured before flight and carried as a payload.
Replicating the functionality of a cockpit transponder controller, the uAvionix mini-controller allows users to dial-in a squawk code before takeoff for even quicker integration and rapid deployment.
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.
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.”
