GPS World

Tag: UAV

  • Vanilla Aircraft claims record with 56-hour unmanned flight

    The Vanilla Aircraft VA001, a small diesel-powered airplane under development through DARPA (left), flew for 56 hours recently over Las Cruces, New Mexico (right), setting a new world record for flight duration for its weight class. The airplane is designed to ultimately carry a 30-pound payload at 15,000 feet for up to 10 days without refueling. (Images: DARPA)
    The Vanilla Aircraft VA001 flew for 56 hours recently over Las Cruces, New Mexico (right), setting a new world record for flight duration for its weight class. The airplane is designed to ultimately carry a 30-pound payload at 15,000 feet for up to 10 days without refueling. (Images: DARPA)

    On Dec. 2, Vanilla Aircraft‘s VA001 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) completed a world record non-stop, unrefueled 56-hour flight.

    The flight was supported by the technology innovation investments of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) and DARPA-funded efforts through Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR 4.11 – Patuxent River).

    The VA001 10-day Endurance UAS.
    The VA001 10-day Endurance UAS.

    The flight, planned as a 120-hour mission, was ended early because of forecasts of severe icing and range restrictions. However, the airplane landed with enough JP-8 fuel on board for an additional 90 hours of flying, or enough for a total of six days of flight.

    The flight was certified as a world-duration record for combustion-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the 50-500 kilogram subclass (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Class U-1.c Group 1). A representative from the National Aeronautic Association was present to witness the record. Moreover, the flight was the fourth-longest for any unmanned airplane and the 11th-longest for an airplane of any type (manned or unmanned, solar or fuel-powered).

    Originating and ending at Las Cruces International Airport, the flight was conducted under the authority of the New Mexico State University UAS test site designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

    “This effort represents tremendous and unprecedented coordination among civil, defense, academic, and private industry to bring a heretofore only imagined capability to reality,” said Vanilla Aircraft CEO Rear Adm. Timothy Heely (ret.).

    Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an increasingly important means for military forces — especially small dismounted units — to bring extra communications or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the field. Current designs, however, offer relatively limited range and flight endurance; additionally, their need for frequent refueling, specialized launch and recovery equipment, and regular maintenance often limit them to flying from fixed bases close to the front lines.

    “This record-breaking flight demonstrated the feasibility of designing a low-cost UAV able to take off from one side of a continent, fly to the other, perform its duties for a week, and come back — all on the same tank of fuel,” said Jean-Charles Ledé, DARPA program manager. “This capability would help extend the footprint of small units by providing scalable, persistent UAV-based communications and ISR coverage without forward basing, thereby reducing personnel and operating costs. We’re very pleased with what the Vanilla team has accomplished.”

    Two VA001 UAVs by Vanilla Aircraft.
    Two VA001 UAVs by Vanilla Aircraft.

    The airplane carried 20 pounds of actual and simulated payload, flying at 6,500 to 7,500 feet above mean sea level (MSL), and was a further step for the VA001 towards demonstrating the system’s objective performance of carrying a 30-pound payload for 10 days at an altitude of 15,000 feet.

    The payload included a NAVAIR-provided relay and operated continuously throughout the flight to demonstrate functionality out to the maximum range.

    The airplane also carried a NASA-provided multispectral imaging payload as a demonstration of Earth science and agricultural remote sensing.

    “The VA001 has transformational potential, providing a scalable aerial system solution without increasing personnel or operating costs,” said co-founder and chief engineer Neil Boertlein. “The ability of a low-cost platform to provide persistent surveillance, battlefield pattern of life, or aerial mesh network relay, in a responsive and robust manner, and without forward basing, does not currently exist.”

    Vanilla Aircraft is also planning a groundbreaking role for the VA001 in commercial applications, especially in agriculture. Vanilla is exploring strategic partnerships and equity financing to expand into this market.

    “The VA001 would be a cost-effective option for widespread and regular low-level surveying,” said co-founder and program manager Jeremy Novara. “We could fill a wide cost and payload-capability market gap between small electric and large military unmanned aircraft, which is perfect for many commercial applications.”

  • Anti-drone market to reach $1.85 billion by 2024

    The global anti-drone market size is anticipated to reach $1.85 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc.

    The increase in the adoption of UAVs (drones) has resulted in the commencement of another market that focuses on a solution for rogue drones, complete with net-firing bazookas, electromagnetic shields and anti-drone death rays.

    U.S. anti-drone market, by destructive mitigation type, 2014-2024 (USD million).
    U.S. anti-drone market, by destructive mitigation type, 2014-2024 (USD million).

    The steep rise in the adoption of drones for commercial as well as recreational purposes has increased concerns regarding aerials attack and threats. Detection and identification of these unmanned aircraft systems have become a vital factor for the maintenance of the security. Various institutions across the world are increasingly deploying counter drone measures to address the ever-growing need for safety and security.

    As UAVs become deadlier, stealthier, faster, agile, smaller, sleeker and cheaper, the nuisance and threats posed by them are expected to grow at numerous levels, ranging from personal/domestic privacy to national security. With that in mind, there is significant effort both in terms of money and technology being invested in the development of anti-drone technologies.

    Various national security agencies across the world have started to precisely understand the potential threats from drones and increasingly considering commercial as well as consumer drones as the new major threat to the world. It is only a matter of time before redundant and reliable methods of countering drones become mainstream and widely available.

    Several busy airports and hubs across the world are seeking defense measures and regulations to protect their airliners and harbored aircraft from drones straying into commercial airspace and posing innumerable threats of a collision. The detection of a range of drone types is expected to require multiple modalities, data fusion systems to effectively identify and detect target drones amongst a cluttered background.

    The full research report with a table of contents is titled “Anti-Drone Market Analysis By Mitigation Type (Destructive, Non-Destructive), By Defense Type (Detection & Disruption, Detection), By End-Use (Military & Defense, Commercial, Government), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2014 – 2024.”

  • How to use structure from motion to produce 3D models

    Structure from motion (SfM) is a photogrammetric range imaging technique for estimating three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional image sequences that may be coupled with local motion signals, according to Wikipedia, which I think is reasonably accurate in this case.

    Simply put, one can snap a series of photographs using the camera in your smartphone, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or other photographic equipment and produce a 3D model using software that is built using the SfM technique.

    To assist you in capturing the photos on your smartphone to generate a 3D model, Autodesk has a free mobile app called 123D Catch. Using the app, you can create a 3D model of nearly any object you can imagine. Following is a one-minute YouTube video from Autodesk that succinctly shows the process of capturing photos using an iPhone camera with Autodesk’s free 123D Catch app and how to generate a 3D model.

    Today’s smartphone cameras offer incredible resolution. My Samsung Galaxy S7 has a 12-megapixel camera. The iPhone 7 offers the same resolution. Modern iPads have an 8-megapixel camera, which is fine for 3D modeling.

     

    So, think about this for a minute. What value can you derive from shooting images from your smartphone? If you need to know the volume of a pile of material (e.g. construction), your smartphone running the 123D Catch app can do it. The requirements are straight-forward:

    • You need to be able to walk completely around the pile and shoot many overlapping photos, filling the camera frame with the pile. Every surface you want modeled should be visible from at least four photos from different angles.
    • Avoid shooting featureless photos (e.g. walls, water or snow surfaces). Or, if a background is featureless, add a feature to the surface like a small target (similar to photogrammetry ground control targets but much smaller).
    • Avoid shooting reflective surfaces.
    • Don’t shoot moving objects (e.g. vehicles).
    • Try shooting in well-lit areas.

    Taking it a step further, the camera doesn’t have to be in your smartphone. You could use a camera mounted on a vehicle that could provide a different perspective. Something like a … drone! Yes, SfM-based software like Agisoft Photoscan allows drone pilots to exploit photographs shot from their aircraft.

    In the past few years, I’ve written a lot about drones and my adventures in using them. Following are a series of images as a result of one of my UAV flights. A total of 500 photos were shot at 80 percent overlap from my drone flying at 200 feet AGL (above ground level). The photos were imported and run through Agisoft Photoscan.

    The first screenshot (Figure 1) is a 2D view of the 3D model generated from processing 500 digital photos through SfM.

    sfm-2d-model
    Figure 1

    Figure 2 shows the camera location of each photo. Remember, the UAV was flying at a consistent altitude (200 feet AGL) and was taking photos with an 80 percent overlap.

    sfm-photo-locations
    Figure 2

    Figure 3 is an oblique view of the 3D model. If I wanted to improve the quality of the 3D model (e.g. the sides of the building), I would have flown the drone again in a flight pattern perpendicular to the first pattern. Note the pile of material at the lower part of the screen and to the right of the pond.

    sfm-oblique-3d-model
    Figure 3

    The final screenshot, Figure 4, is a zoomed in view of the pile of material.

    sfm-material
    Figure 4

    Since a 3D model has been created, clearly a DEM (digital elevation model) and DSM (digital surface model) can be generated, as well as associated 3D products like elevation contours and volume calculations.

    Enough of the drone talk.

    With your smartphone, you’ve got everything you need to create a 3D model of your children, your Christmas tree, your pet, your vehicle or other valued object. Give it a try. It won’t cost you anything but some of your time.

    Start by downloading the Autodesk 123D Catch app. You might want to view this six-minute video describing how to plan a shoot for best results.

    https://youtu.be/D7Torjkfec4

    To process the photos and create a 3D model, install the Autodesk ReMake free version.

    Once you’ve installed ReMake, take a look at this less than four-minute quick start for importing photos and processing them in ReMake.

    https://youtu.be/wRWo3r-woMI?list=PLUgaUX0Wfr-R1hXT9J1pTh6kKhUTwXLZR

    If you get a chance, post a 3D model you’ve created in the comments section below.

    Follow me on Twitter @GPSGIS_Eric

    Photos: Agisoft

  • Datumate introduces new DatuFly release 

    Datumate introduces new DatuFly release 

    Datumate has launched a new version of DatuFly for iOS, a UAV app with industry-specific capabilities for surveying, construction and infrastructure companies.

    Photo: DatumateThe new version 1.1.1. includes:

    • DJI Inspire 1 Pro Support – Two new bundles were added to support DJI Inspire 1 Pro drones, one with the X5 camera and the other with the X3.
    • DJI Matrice 600 Support – A new bundle was added to support DJI Matrice 600 with X5 camera.
    • Speed Control for Vertical Missions – Control the drone speed when taking vertical images. This includes the option of taking images when the drone is hoovering.
    • Optional Automatic Takeoff and Landing – Application is set by default to “manual takeoff and landing” for safety purposes. The operator will need to turn it off to enable automatic takeoff and landing. With manual takeoff and landing option, the operator will be asked to manually elevate the drone to a certain height and then start the automatic mission. When the mission is completed the operator will be asked to manually bring the drone back.
    • More Flexible Control of Mission Altitude — The operator can flexibly set the mission altitude for both oblique and vertical missions.
    • Control the Camera Angle for Oblique Missions – The operator has the option to change the angle if needed for oblique mission.
    • Chinese language support – DatuFly has a Chinese user interface.

    The app is available through the Apple Store.

     

  • Drone project increases accuracy despite obstruction

    Drone project increases accuracy despite obstruction

    The second-place winner in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition aims to improve surveying accuracy in urban canyons or under tree canopies.

    The project, Drones2GNSS, also took home the Special Prize offered by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

    Space Geomatica Ltd.’s Tripolitsiotis Achilles joined with Panagiotis Partsinevelos, SenseLab Research, Technical University of Crete, to develop Drones2GNSS.

    In the tracking procedure, the engineer with the surveying pole might move around, yet the UAV tracks in real time and provides the GNSS coordinates.
    In the tracking procedure, the engineer with the surveying pole might move around, yet the UAV tracks in real time and provides the GNSS coordinates.

    Drones2GNSS includes a prototype drone equipped with a highly accurate GNSS receiver and a camera/laser measuring system that retrieves the coordinates of custom surveying poles featuring Wi-Fi, a prism and a target marker.

    The team’s image processing algorithms and error correction techniques provide real-time, centimeter-level coordinate estimation and can simultaneously measure multiple moving surveying poles.

    The processing is performed on-board the UAV without any ground-based hardware. In this way, Drones2GNSS provides a fast, reliable, cost-effective alternative for absolute coordinate positioning in obstructed environments where GNSS fails. It can cover multiple targets, including cars, people and vessels.

    It also offers a basis for other related challenges, including UAV GNSS networks, indoor positioning and error mitigation.

    “Although Galileo Initial Services are expected to enhance the accuracy of existing solutions, Drones2GNSS proposes an off-the-shelf application that uses European GNSS (Galileo, EGNOS) as the primary means of positioning,” Tripolitsiotis said. “As GNSS signals are degraded in obstructed environments by skyscrapers, vegetation and geomorphology, our project proposes using drones as intermediate carriers of high-precision GNSS signals that can then transfer the geolocation accuracy to the ground.”

    Drones2GNSS relies heavily on multi-constellation GNSS signal, which is where Galileo will make the difference. “As current constellations like GPS and GLONASS have proven inefficient in confronting the aforementioned surveying problem, the sector continues to rely on traditional surveying techniques,” Tripolitsiotis said. “However, with the launch of the Galileo era and the utilization of the Drones2GNSS approach, we can now provide surveying engineers a cost effective, accurate and fast positioning solution.”

  • Riegl features airborne, UAV segments at Intergeo 2016

    Riegl‘s James Van Rens discusses the company’s airborne and UAV solutions at Intergeo 2016, which was held Oct. 11-13 in Hamburg, Germany. Riegl unveiled its VQ-1560i dual lidar channel airborne laser scanning system and miniVUX-1UAV lidar sensor.

  • Airbus Farmstar service improved with new recommendations

    (Photo: Farmstar)
    (Photo: Farmstar)

    Farmstar, a service of Airbus Defence and Space and ARVALIS – Institut du végétal for precision farming based on satellite information, has been further improved.

    New images acquired by the SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 satellites will make it possible to issue intra-field recommendations for areas as small as 1 hectare. Also,  new interactive advice is provided for nitrogen input at the 1-centimeter ear stage.

    Automatic and manual modulation files are accessible to all farmers via the Farmstar web portal. An additional advice for calculating the nitrogen input at the 1-centimeter ear stage enables this input to be broken down and adjusted for wheat, barley and triticale crops. The nitrogen fertilization recommendations now take into account the objectives of the Proteins Plan for wheat quality thanks to new nitrogen requirement specifications for soft wheat, to optimize how this two-fold yield–protein content objective is addressed.

    These new developments come at the right time: after an extremely difficult year, due to exceptionally poor meteorological conditions, French farmers are looking to save on farm inputs while continuing to manage their crops sustainably and with a focus on environmental protection.

    The number of farmers signed up for the service has constantly risen over the past 15 years. Nearly 800,000 hectares of plots were monitored by Farmstar last season, enabling more than 18,000 farmers to save time and money through precise management of the exact needs of their crops.

    Farmstar is a service distributed by the cooperatives, chambers of agriculture and traders dedicated to precision agriculture and crop management developed by Airbus Defence and Space and ARVALIS – Institut du végétal, in partnership with Terres Inovia.

    Throughout the season, the service provides reliable information that can be directly used by farmers to help them quickly make relevant decisions. This advice, combining satellite, UAV and aircraft imagery with agronomic expertise, exposes the real need of plants within each plot at different key stages in the crop growth and allows the right amount of inputs to be added in the right places at the right time.

  • Ubiqomm and Skyriver team on ‘Wi-Fi in the sky’ BVLOS drone flights

    Ubiqomm has unveils its ubiquitous high-speed data connectivity solution, especially designed for enterprise drone fleets engaged in present line of sight (LOS) and, in the future, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights.

    “The application for drones is increasing exponentially as companies apply drone technology for surveying and performing emergency operations in remote locations, and other use cases including traffic monitoring in cities, and above stadium live-streaming of sporting events. Consistent high-speed data connectivity between drones and ground control centers is becoming mission critical,” said Saum Vahdat, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Ubiqomm.

    Ubiqomm’s wireless solution encompasses a network of base stations on the ground and communications devices mounted on drones. Each base station is capable of supporting all drones within its 25km+ coverage radius. The seamless handoff with the adjacent base station ensures ubiquitous coverage in a large area while connecting drones to a cloud backhaul.

    Ubiqomm’s unique patented solution uses multiple techniques, such as innovative antenna design for both base stations and drones, mobility management, and interference mitigation, together achieving very high bandwidth efficiency. Vahdat added “Dubbed as “Wi-Fi in the Sky,” Ubiqomm’s solution enables 10x lower CapEx and OpEx as compared to terrestrial LTE networks while enabling very high-data rates of 200 Mbps between drones and base stations.”

    Ubiqomm is partnering with Skyriver, an affiliated company in the Bridgewest Group portfolio of businesses with expertise in wireless broadband network design and deployment, in the millimeter wave and lower spectrum bands. Together, the two companies are offering demonstrations to companies that are interested in leveraging Ubiqomm’s technology for their own products and services.

    The demonstration includes multiple drones flying within a region approximately 25km away from their San Diego base station. Each drone will be transmitting multiple 1080p video streams to the base station, utilizing secure high-speed links (200+ Mbps).

    Ubiqomm and Skyriver are seeking industry partners for development, testing and trials of UAV traffic management (UTM) protocols in addition to the “Wi-Fi in the Sky” network solution, paving the way for BVLOS flight operations.

  • FAA evaluates drone detection systems near Denver airport

    This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are conducting drone-detection research in the vicinity of Denver International Airport. The work is part of the FAA’s Pathfinder Program for UAS Detection at Airports and Critical Infrastructure.

    The work in Denver is one of six technical evaluations scheduled over an 18-month period.

    The State of Nevada and State of North Dakota UAS Test Sites conducted flight operations for the Denver evaluations. Industry partners involved in the Denver flights included CACI International, Liteye Systems and Sensofusion.

    The FAA plans to capture the data and findings from the evaluations and draft recommendations for standards. These standards will guide the selection of drone-detection systems for airports nationwide.

    Other evaluation sites include Atlantic City International Airport, JFK International Airport, Eglin Air Force Base, Helsinki Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

    In addition to DHS, the FAA’s federal research partners include the Department of Defense, FBI, Federal Communications Commission, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police.

    The House Report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2016 federal appropriations law and the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 both directed the FAA to continue research into detecting unmanned aircraft in airport environments.

  • OxTS showcases xNAV at Intergeo 2016

    Oxford Technical Solutions is featuring its xNAV system, particularly for use in UAVs, at Intergeo 2016, which is being held Oct. 11-13 in Hamburg, Germany. The system is designed to deliver superior position, roll/pitch and heading data, even in challenging operating environments.

  • Eos introduces photogrammetry software for drone photography

    Eos Systems Inc. has introduced new photogrammetry software optimized specifically for photographs taken with drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

    The new PhotoModeler UAS 2016 creates 3D models, measurements, and maps from photographs taken with ordinary cameras built-in or mounted on drones. It has numerous features for operation with drone photos, including post processing kinematics (PPK), volume objects, full geographic coordinate systems support, multispectral image support and control point assist.

    Eos Systems will be showcasing PhotoModeler UAS Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas, and will offer the new software at 35 percent off the normal price Nov. 1-30.

    eos-photogrammetry-wThe new version of PhotoModeler is suited for drone photogrammetry applications, including surveying, ground contouring, surface model creation, stockpile volume measurement, mining and mine reclamation, environmental analysis, slope analysis, forensic analysis, construction and agricultural crop analysis.

    New applications for drone photogrammetry are developed monthly. Eos PhotoModeler was introduced 23 years ago and has become one of the leading photogrammetric software platforms with a wide range of users in fields such as architecture, engineering, surveying, research, manufacturing and forensics.

    PhotoModeler UAS 2016 software includes numerous features that provide higher performance in drone photogrammetry. Camera calibration is optimized for high accuracy with UASs and GPS. Post processed kinematics (PPK) makes it possible to correct a survey with GPS data after the fact for survey grade accuracy.

    Volume objects provide easy and accurate volume data for stock piles and mining operations. Full geographic coordinate system support enables users to work in their local geographic coordinate system for better compatibility. Support is provided for multispectral images including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) surface models and orthomosaics for precision agriculture. An intuitive interface is provided for efficiently marking ground control points.

  • NASA tests solar-powered Silent Falcon UAS for large-scale operations

    NASA tests solar-powered Silent Falcon UAS for large-scale operations

    NASA’s concept for a possible UTM system would safely manage diverse UAS operations in the airspace above buildings and below crewed aircraft operations in suburban and urban areas. (Image: NASA)
    NASA’s concept for a possible UTM system would safely manage diverse UAS operations in the airspace above buildings and below crewed aircraft operations in suburban and urban areas. (Image: NASA)

    Silent Falcon UAS Technologies participated in the NASA UTM (unmanned traffic management) project headed up by the NASA Ames Research Center, held this month in Reno, Nevada.

    NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are working together to identify ways to safely enable large-scale UAS operations in the low-altitude airspace. The growing number of UAS and commercial UAS applications has led to this critical project.

    The UTM flight tests took place the week of Oct. 17. Silent Falcon, along with 11 other partners in the UTM program, flew their aircraft in typical UAS scenarios.

    The tests focused on the ability to alert and inform airspace users of potential dangers and conflicting situations that go BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) as well as within VLOS (visual line of sight). Safety is of utmost importance and visual observers will be put in place to ensure aircraft stay on their designated paths and won’t interfere with other aircraft in the area.

    Silent Falcon

    Silent Falcon is a solar electric, carbon fiber, modular small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) designed for numerous commercial, public safety, military and security applications.

    Silent Falcon’s solar electric propulsion systems gives it the unique ability to stay in the air for extended periods of time — five or more hours depending on environmental conditions. It’s also what gives the Silent Falcon its ability to be virtually silent. Once the Silent Falcon reaches 100 meters, it’s effectively undetectable.

    The composite structure of the Silent Falcon provides exceptional durability while flying in all types of conditions, as well as for launch and recovery. It’s also very lightweight for ease of transport and in-air maneuverability.

    The Silent Falcon UAS prepared for launch. (Photo: Silent Falcon)
    The Silent Falcon UAS prepared for launch. (Photo: Silent Falcon)

    Using a highly sophisticated mesh network, wave relay communication system, the airborne network nodes provide seamless dissemination of voice, video and data. With an internet connection on the ground, users can provide secure and encrypted voice, video and data to anyone, anywhere in the world on a private Silent Falcon communication network.

    The large, open payload bay of the Silent Falcon has been designed with an open interface and open architecture to accommodate a wide range of sensors, cameras and payloads. This allows the Silent Falcon to perform a large variety of extended range and endurance missions.

    “We are extremely fortunate to be a part of this very important project – both in the actual flight operations, as well as the development of the UTM software,” said John Brown, Silent Falcon UAS Technologies president and CEO. “This project is extremely important to the UAS industry and is of particular interest to us as we manufacture a long-range, long-endurance fixed-wing UAS that was designed for BVLOS applications. We are grateful to NASA for including us and we look forward to further participation as the project continues to move forward.”