In October 2022, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies company, received a $207 million contract from the United States Army for Ku-band radio frequency sensors (KuRFS) and Coyote effectors. The Army plans to equip two of its divisions with KuRFS and Coyote effectors to defend against threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
The KuRFS precision targeting radar and scaled Ku-720 mobile sensing radar provides 360-degree detection, identification and tracking of airborne threats. Coyote Block 2 kinetic and Block 3 non-kinetic effectors can defeat single UAS and swarms at high altitudes and long ranges.
The Army’s Mobile-Low, Slow, Small, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, integrates KuRFS and Coyote effectors with Northrop Grumman’s Forward Area Air Defense Command-and-Control system and Syracuse Research Corporation’s electronic warfare system. This creates a mobile deployed system that provides a complete extended-range defense solution.
Point One’s FusionEngine software, which is rated for automotive safety integrity level (ASIL), is now compatible with STMicroelectronics’ Teseo ASIL Precise Positioning GNSS chipset (TeseoAPP). This assures functional safety as ASIL-B, a requirement for Level 3+ advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
FusionEngine can be integrated into several different host processors that are used for enabling high level ADAS and autonomous driving systems. The combination of TeseoAPP’s receiver and the STA5365S external RF front-end provides dual-band measurement data for all visible GNSS satellites to the main host processor into which FusionEngine is integrated.
FusionEngine software is a precise location solution for automotive applications. For accuracy and to ensure the safety and integrity required for high level autonomous vehicles it combines data from multiple sensors, including the TeseoAPP multi-band GNSS receiver. It also enables developers to complete the functional safety concept phase for host system software integration.
One of several derivative branches from unmanned air vehicles and their technologies is electric aircraft and air taxis. Referred to as eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing), a class of manned and unmanned aircraft is being developed and certified for short-hop passenger transit from down-town ‘Verti-Ports’ to classic airports, aimed at improving the economics and reducing the noise footprint of current helicopter services. Urban air transport is undergoing significant change as organizations such as United Airlines, Delta, American Airlines and others plow money into electric aircraft and the development of manned and unmanned air axis.
Archer Aviation is developing two such aircraft, with ‘Maker’ being the first cut flying test-bed, and ‘Midnight’ its so called ‘first production version.’ The vehicle design is similar in that they both have wings and are powered by six lift propellers and six tilting props that rotate vertically to lift for take-off and landing, then transition to horizontal for forward flight.
Image: Maker in forward flight/ArcherImage: Midnight/Archer
In the past, Archer has been somewhat secretive about its air-taxi program, but with the introduction of Midnight on Nov. 17, and with Maker achieving transition from hover to forward flight on Nov. 20, they released some useful information. Lift to forward transition is a big step for eVTOL, with the potential for a major set-back, almost like an irrecoverable stall for a fixed wing aircraft.
There are six battery ‘packs’ mounted in the wing near the engines – batteries, engines and FAA certification are key focal areas in their program, with fault tolerance and endurance being key considerations. An existing lithium battery has been selected following extensive testing, with a design objective of 10,000 average 20 mile trips, each trip with a 10 minute recharge cycle. Two similar electric motor types are used, with 95% commonality, and flight can allegedly be maintained through one complete engine or propeller failure. Each engine has redundant elements allowing one side to fail while still maintaining full operation. All these redundancies support the Archer plan for FAA certification which has now progressed through ‘Certification Basis’ and ‘Conceptual Design’ to ‘Preliminary Design’. There are many steps still to complete, with certification not anticipated until at least the second half of 2024.
Meanwhile, Joby Aviation has been making significant progress with its flying prototype and pre-production aircraft, with the objective of developing a flying rideshare platform. With space for four passengers and a pilot, the Joby aircraft is smaller than the Archer vehicle, however smaller size means less weight and complexity and requires fewer lift props. The Joby vehicle has six large props that all transition from vertical for take-off and landing to horizontal for full forward flight.
Image: Courtesy of Joby Aviation. (c) Joby Aero, Inc.
Joby developed its own lithium-iron batteries and dual redundant electric motors and while developing flying prototype and pre-production aircraft, has also focused on teaming with key industrial partners who are assisted in key areas:
NASA has undertaken a study with Joby on 5 potential route configurations at Dallas/Fort-Worth airport for eVTOL traffic.
The US Department of Defence has provided flight range and facilities to enable airborne testing of the Joby prototypes. This contract has just been modified so that US Marine Corps personnel may flight test Joby’s eVTOL to evaluate DoD use-cases for the aircraft.
The company ‘Uber Elevate’ was purchased by Joby and is now integrated as the future provider of trip access for customers.
Toyota has not only invested in Joby, but is providing essential production facility knowledge and guidance as Joby begins its initial build out of volume manufacturing.
Delta has invested an initial $60 million, which could increase to $200 million provided progress towards certification and service entry meets certain milestones
Other eVTOL notable companies entering this market include Jaunt Air Mobility in Dallas, Texas; Velocopter in Bruschal, Germany; Lilium in Munich, Germany; Kittyhawk in California; Wisk in California and New Zealand; Airbus in Toulouse, France; Ehang in Guangzhow, China; Vertical Aerospace in Bristol, England; Urban Aeronautics in Tel Aviv, Israel; and Eve Mobility in Melbourne Florida.
So, just a small taste of two of many eVTOL hopefuls – but two with the backing of mainline commercial airlines – who knows who will actually make it through the arduous and expensive aviation certification process before the cash runs out? However, there are many significant investors who are currently standing by their selected hopefuls and others continue to jump in – let’s hope that by 2025 we’ll begin to see home-airport air-taxi services underway.
The Carbonix Volanti vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone. (Photo: Carbonix)
Fugro is partnering with Australian drone manufacturer Carbonix to establish a new long-range drone capability. It is Fugro’s first partnership working towards long-range beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) missions, bolstering Fugro’s existing geographic information system (GIS) capability.
Carbonix will supply Volanti and Ottano vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones over the next 27 months, to further enhance Fugro’s remote operations.
Fugro is engaged in the transition to remote and autonomous operations with a global network of nine remote operation centres (ROCs). From these centers, Fugro operates boats and other vehicles, and provides survey, inspection and piloting services to the global maritime industry.
Carbonix will support Fugro’s Australian long-range maritime and land projects from the sky, using aerial surveying and data-capture technology, while integrating with Fugro’s ROCs for the joint development of systems technology and capabilities.
Tallysman Wireless has added the housed SSL990XF full-band survey-grade GNSS antenna to its line of GNSS products.
The SSL990XF uses a derivative of Tallysman’s patented VeroStar antenna element to provide full GNSS + L-band corrections frequency coverage.
The SSL990XF is 63 mm in diameter and 28 mm tall and weighs ~50 grams, making it a very small and light housed full-band precision antenna. It has a very tight average phase-center variation of 4 mm or lower for all frequencies and overall azimuths and elevation angles.
The full-band SSL990XF antenna supports GPS/QZSS L1/L2/L5, QZSS L6, GLONASS G1/G2/G3, Galileo E1/E5ab/E6 and BeiDou B1/B2ab/B3, as well as L-band correction services. Also supported in the region of operation are satellite-based augmentation systems: WAAS (North America), EGNOS (Europe), MSAS (Japan), or GAGAN (India).
The SSL990XF is housed in a weatherproof (IP67) enclosure and is mounted using either adhesive tape or a mounting collar that includes a waterproofing O-ring. Two antenna cable connector options are available. The first is a female SMA, and the second is an MCX. It is an ideal antenna for precision UAV and all applications where light weight and precision matter.
The radio-frequency spectrum has become congested worldwide as many new LTE bands have been activated, and their signals or harmonic frequencies can affect GNSS antennas and receivers.
In North America, the planned Ligado service, which will broadcast in the frequency range of 1526 to 1536 MHz, can affect GNSS signals. Similarly, new LTE signals in Europe [Band 32 (1452–1496 MHz)] and Japan [Bands 11 and 21 (1476–1511 MHz)] have also affected GNSS signals. Tallyman’s new SSL990XF with eXtended Filtering (XF) technology mitigates the interference effects of these new signals.
According to Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, the global surveying and mapping services market was worth US$9 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3% during the forecast years of 2022-2032.
The survey and mapping industry has significantly benefited from drone technologies, because UAVs are less expensive and more accessible compared to traditional methods. Conventional surveying methods require rental aircraft and trained pilots, along with attached recording instruments — a costly and resource-intensive process. The introduction of UAVs has substantially created a future opportunity for surveying and mapping services to gather spatial information in a tighter structure. This also allows the collection of geospatial information with easy storage, processing and sharing capabilities.
For instance, in May 2022, India-based software company PDRL introduced a software-as-a-service platform — DroneNaksha — under the Svamitva Yojana scheme by the government of India for mapping land parcels using drone technology across the country. Similarly, in March 2022, Australia-based Emesent introduced Hovermap ST autonomous drone lidar mapping and surveying payload.
The integration of advanced technologies such as Wi-Fi, first-person view cameras, and GPS technology to make UAVs highly flexible and eliminate the need for a skilled pilot is expected to stimulate the demand for drones for survey and mapping activities, thereby driving market expansion.
Key Takeaways
The global surveying and mapping services market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.4% and reach US$13 billion by 2032.
Over the 2017-2021 historical period, the market evolved at 3.2% CAGR.
Forestry and agriculture account for a leading share in the market at a valuation of US$1.80 billion in 2021.
North America and East Asia account for leading shares in the global mapping services market at 24% and 32%, respectively.
The INTERGEO Expo & Conference focuses on innovations for a smarter world. INTERGEO 2022 will take place October 18-20 in Essen, Germany.
Topics including the importance of geoinformation for internal security, monitoring for disaster control and prevention, open data, digital twins alongside their use in construction and housing, mobility, sustainability and climate change, BIM and engineering applications with UAV, laser scanning and monitoring will be discussed during the 2022 event.
Additionally, the outdoor area of Messe Essen will show live demonstrations of the latest UAV applications in surveying, agriculture, construction, security and many more.
According to INTERGEO organizers, 300 international companies are already registered at the Expo, from innovative young start-ups to international key players such as Autodesk, Esri Inc., Hexagon, Trimble, Topcon and many more. The organizers expect around 500 exhibitors by October.
“All the international key players in the industry will be there.There was no doubt about it – they all want to get back to their customers, to visitors, to the live atmosphere and the power of meetings”, says Prof. Dr-Ing. Hansjörg Kutterer, President of the organiser DVW e.V., Association for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management.
For those who are unable to attend the event in Germany, there will be some opportunities to participate in the Expo remotely.
Up close and personal
Digital Twins will receive their big break at the Conference 2022. Their use in building information modeling, smart planning and construction as well as mobility will be the focus of the event. Digital twins will be used to further development of urban data platforms in the context of smart cities and their variety of applications, as well as the use of smart city solutions in terms of innovation and sustainability and a basis for predictions and scenarios in the event of disasters.
The main topics in 2022 are Digital Twins and their value creation, 4D geodata and Geospatial IoT, potentials of remote sensing, BIM 4.0, industrial surveying, measurement systems and robotics, smart cities and mobility in the context of climate change and sustainability, mobile mapping, web services and GeoIT in disaster relief, spatial reference and positioning, earth observation and Galileo.
Hansjörg Kutterer points out the high innovative power of the industry: “We are experiencing high dynamics in segments such as mobility, environment and sustainability, climate protection and urbanization. Geo-IT has positioned itself as a solution provider for these topics. Problem-solving without Geo-IT is unthinkable in these subject areas. Come to Essen on the 18th to 20th of October and visit Intergeo Expo and Conference.”
How to attend
Tickets for INTERGEO are now available. An early-bird registration rate is available until August 31. Tickets can be found at https://www.intergeo.de/en/tickets.
Registration for new exhibitors is open as well. All information, such as application procedures and funding amounts, can be found on the INTERGEO website at www.intergeo.de/en/.
The collaboration ensures smooth and easy integration of high-accuracy GPS/GNSS positioning and professional-level autopilots into control systems where safety and reliability matter
Septentrio is collaborating with MicroPilot, maker of professional UAV autopilots.
Septentrio receivers, including the small form factor mosaic modules, as well as the OEM board AsteRx-m3, will support seamless integration of positioning and orientation into MicroPilot’s autopilot ecosystem.
MicroPilot chose Septentrio GNSS receivers for their resilience to radio interference such as jamming and spoofing, as well as security and robustness with high-accuracy real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning.
Self-interference or self-jamming is a common occurrence in UAVs, where devices such as cameras, servos or antennas, which emit electromagnetic radiation, are located close to the GPS receiver. Incorporating GNSS technology that is resilient to jamming and spoofing, in combination with reliable professional-level autopilots, is key to safe and secure flight navigation, according to Septentrio.
“Adopting new and resilient technology in UAVs is vital, and we want to ensure a smooth integration process into professional drone systems,” said Gustavo Lopez, senior market access manager at Septentrio. “We are very excited about the strong collaboration between Septentrio and MicroPilot, which now provides new alternatives to drone companies looking for safe and reliable flight operations.”
In addition to developing autopilots, MicroPilot provides supporting software and services that enable customers to use development time more efficiently, reducing time to market.
“Working closely with Septentrio gives MicroPilot the ability to better leverage resilient and robust GNSS technologies strengthening our offering to the professional UAV market for safe and reliable flight control,” said Howard Loewen, president of MicroPilot.
ComNav Technology has released a powerful and reliable UAV aerial mapping solution capable of centimeter-level positioning, providing high-precision photos and data for mapping professionals.
Based on the company’s K8 platform, the package consists of an E300 real-time kinematic (RTK) drone, flight-control software and an optional camera.
Featuring high accuracy, strong compatibility, long endurance, high performance and an easy workflow, the E300 drone package can meet the requirements of many different applications, including topographic survey, urban construction, forestry investigation, emergency rescue, 3D modeling, mining and surveying.
High Accuracy. The E300 RTK drone is embedded with a high-precision K8 GNSS module that supports GPS L1/L2/L5, BeiDou B1/B2/B3/B1C/B2a, GLONASS L1/L2, Galileo E1/E5-a/E5-b/AltBOC/E6 and QZSS L1/L2/L5. With Quantum III technology, the K8 GNSS module provides reliable and stable RTK positioning results.
The professional post-processed kinematic (PPK) software Compass Solution supports the full-constellation calculation, providing accurate positioning results.
RTK/PPK provides dual backup, one as a failsafe for another, to ensure acquisition of data. The built-in antenna further increases precision of photo position. EVENT synchronization technology can reduce camera trigger error and ensure high performance of the solution.
With its intelligent recognition algorithms, the E300 is able to capture high-resolution images consistently even in complex environments.Moreover, the E300 has a multipath redundancy design with key modules for safety.The solution can provide centimeter-level positioning results without ground control points, saving time.
Compatibility. Featuring a carrying capacity of 3 kg, the E300’s payload bay is compatible with a wide range of cameras, including C20, C50, LiAir VH2 and others. Payloads can be quickly and easily swapped in the field for maximum versatility.
Besides supporting standard NTRIP protocol, the E300 is compatible with all brands of base stations and continuously operating reference stations.
Long Endurance. The E300 is characterized by an ultra-efficient aerodynamic design. It reaches a 60-minute flight time without payload and 50 minutes with a basic payload, covering areas with a maximum 10-km radius per flight. In one flight, the E300 can map about 0.62 km² in 1.5-cm/px ground sample distance with one battery.
The E300 RTK drone features a simplified design for easy and rapid assembly within minutes while providing excellent stability and vibration resistance.
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.
In 2021, OxTS released its smallest, lightest and most affordable inertial navigation system (INS) to date — the xNAV650.
At release, the xNAV650 detailed real-time specifications only. However, after additional testing, OxTS has announced post-processed specifications.
Because of its small size and low weight, the xNAV650 is suitable for SWaP-constrained applications. It is also used in many mobile-mapping scenarios. Alongside OxTS Georeferencer, measurements created by the xNAV650 can be used to georeference point clouds from multiple lidar sensors.
By announcing these new specifications, OxTS aims to keep surveyors informed of the performance they can expect from the xNAV650 in both real time and post-processing.
OxTS has been manufacturing INS for more than 20 years. Their INS are widely used in both the automotive testing and survey and mapping industries.
Percepto Air Mobile drone with base. (Photo: Percepto)
Percepto, an Israel-based company specializing in autonomous inspection with industrial robotics, has launched its 2022 Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM) platform and Air Mobile drone.
Recently listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto offers an end-to-end solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to collate and streamline all visual data for accurate actionable insights.
Percepto AIM 2022 has a new Insight Manager to deliver AI-powered packaged solutions for sector-specific use cases, such as solar, mining, energy, oil and gas and other industries. The company drew on tens of thousands of hours collected by autonomous robot missions at industrial facilities to create it.
Percepto’s AI change-detection framework offers unified visual data and critical business insights for each of the sector-specific solutions. AIM 2022 can be integrated with autonomous drones and robots as well as other visual data collectors, now including DJI drones, and fixed cameras.
Reports and insights are automatically generated based on the combined visual data. Disseminated to relevant stakeholders on any mobile device, issues and faults are geotagged and displayed on a map, enabling effective action before escalating into more serious problems.
Percepto also introduced its new Percepto Air portfolio to support the enhanced platform, which will address the diverse needs and increasing demands of various markets.
Percepto Air Max. The next generation of Percepto Sparrow, the Percepto Air Max is a field-proven solution that operates in the largest mining, oil and gas, and energy companies on six continents. It has a top-grade, versatile payload for specific use cases. Designed to inspect and map complex industrial environments where the highest accuracy and durability are critical, Air Max also has an optical gas imaging (OGI) camera.
Percepto Air Mobile. This option is a more compact and lighter weight model for smaller sites or organizations taking their first steps with a drone-in-the-box program, or larger sites that need greater deployment flexibility. It is designed for linear inspections, such as pipelines and power lines, and can monitor short-term projects across multiple sites, such as construction sites.
Percepto Air Max and Air Mobile drones are stored permanently onsite within their respective Percepto Bases. The Air Mobile’s base is light and easy to relocate while maintaining high levels of durability. These encasements are designed for infrequent maintenance and protection against extreme environmental phenomena, such as hurricanes. Percepto’s drones are safe and regulation ready, and ensure all operational aspects meet corporate standards.
“Percepto AIM 2022 and the new Percepto Air line of drones, together with the most advanced change detection solution, alert and prevent failures and downtime within diverse use cases across many industries,” said Percepto CEO Dor Abuhasira. “Percepto AIM provides the most advanced and comprehensive enterprise inspection software that offers a complete data workflow — from capture to insight. With Percepto Air Max and Percepto Air Mobile, companies have a range of options to choose from depending on the size of their facilities and the flexibility needed to deploy drones.”
“The real power of Percepto’s system is how data collection and analytics are integrated for a holistic view from both a technical and management perspective,” said Tim Shanfelt, director of Operations Transformation, Koch Ag & Energy. “Our workers are connected to high-level information that helps them make the right decisions while keeping them safe and free to pursue higher value activities. Our goal is to eliminate hazardous, wasteful, and mundane tasks from our operators’ day. For example, instead of an employee climbing an icy ladder in the winter, a robot or drone can perform the same task while still obtaining accurate measurements. We see Percepto playing a significant role in helping make our facilities more safe, secure, efficient, and profitable.”
