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.
The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) calculates that thinning of Alaska’s Taku Glacier has increased from an average rate of 0.5 meter to 2 meters per year over the past two decades. Annual mapping by JIRP reveals the glacier’s thickness has varied from one year to the next, likely due to snow accumulation variability, but the overall current trend shows an annual net loss of ice.
“Taku is losing enough meltwater every day to fill an NFL stadium,” said Seth Campbell, JIRP director of Academics & Research.
At more than 800 square kilometers, Taku Glacier is the largest in the massive Juneau Icefield, making it vital to the study of climate change.
JIRP monitors the complex kinematics and mass balance of the Juneau Icefield — changes to ice velocity, snow accumulation and surface melting — to estimate whether the glacier is advancing or retreating over time. The team maps yearly GPS field measurements in Golden Software’s Grapher and Surfer modeling packages.
Image: JIRP/Golden Software
Straddling the Alaska-Canada border, the receding icefield plays multiple important roles in local ecosystems. For British Columbia, it provides fresh water, but for the Gulf of Alaska, increasing glacier meltwater can potentially harm the marine ecosystem and valuable fisheries.
JIRP research dates from 1946; the introduction of GPS in 1993 contributed significantly to annual summer fieldwork. Volunteers capture more than 1,000 GPS measurements at designated transect locations on the icefield each year to record glacial velocity and surface elevation changes.
Using Grapher, the team plots GPS “Z” elevation values across transects in 2D to generate thickness profiles. The scientists also input GPS field points for multiple transects from multiple years into the Surfer 3D surface mapping package to gain a sense of overall glacier volume change.
The primary revelation from the JIRP work has been a greater understanding of how and where the glaciers are changing, according to Scott McGee, JIRP Geomatics Program Lead. Until recently, glacial melt was assumed to occur mostly at lower elevations of the icefield, where temperatures are generally higher. However, McGee and the JIRP team have routinely discovered thinning occurring at all elevations of the icefield, including at the highest elevations of 1,900 meters.
L3Harris provided a detailed digital map of Blacksburg, Virginia, to aid in the development of a Navigation Performance Forecast for UAVs, specifically for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights.
L3Harris used a novel method of 3D map generation using a deep stack of high-resolution satellite imagery and artificial-intelligence technology without the time or expense of a site visit. This detailed mapping technology, known as multi-view photogrammetry, was used in a pilot study to determine the viability of using modern, automated, mapping technologies to build a scalable methodology that can be applied to very large-size mapping programs, potentially covering the urban areas of North America and Western Europe.
The company is using these 3D maps with its GNSS forecast technology to accurately predict GPS performance for UAS flight planning and operation. This prediction helps the unmanned aircraft service supplier and UAS operator ensure safe operations.
The L3Harris Geospatial Data Products team provided 2D and 3D products, including the vector map shown above.
It has been 78 years since 110,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly interned in 10 camps across the United States.
In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order announcing their internment. When World War II ended in 1945, the 10 camps were unceremoniously abandoned. The people interned there, their descendants, and historical groups are now trying to preserve memory of the camps.
A new Esri StoryMap from Eos Positioning Systems explores the stories of two men whose lives were connected by Amache Internment Camp in southeastern Colorado.
In the first chapters, we meet Dennis Otsuji, a renowned landscape architect who was born at Amache in 1943. Then we meet Jim Casey, GIS user and philanthropist on a quest to preserve Amache. Besides using Esri ArcGIS Online tools, Casey used the Arrow Gold GNSS receiver from Eos Positioning Systems for ground control points.
In an unlikely story twist, Otsuji and Casey happened to meet when Otsuji went searching for his past, just as Casey was working to preserve the past. The StoryMap ends with the first augmented-reality look at Amache.
Lidar and photogrammetry payload maker Rock Robotic has finished development of its new Rock R2A payload. Featuring the Livox Avia lidar scanner mounted on an aluminum enclosure, the R2A is light enough to fly on the DJI Matrice 200 and 210 series (versions 1 and 2), Matrice 300 RTK, Matrice 600 Pro, Freefly Alta X and many custom platforms.
A major factor in Rock Robotic’s success has been its use of Inertial Labs’ inertial navigation systems in its payloads. The Rock R2A uses the INS-D-OEM, which features temperature-calibrated and precisely aligned tri-axis micro-electromechanical accelerometers and gyroscopes.
With 20 years in the position, navigation and timing industry, Inertial Labs has been able to develop hardware solutions integrating many different types of sensors to ensure accurate time synchronization among independent data packets, resulting in a guaranteed high-performing system-level solution.
These high-quality systems and components, paired with a robust onboard Kalman filter, result in trajectories with heading accuracies of 0.03 degrees and pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.006 degrees. These values directly affect point-cloud accuracy, which for the Rock R2A means a system accuracy of 5 centimeters or less.
The advent of drone lidar payloads has had a profound impact on industrial inspections such as for powerlines, saving labor costs and improving safety. The multiple return method of scanning with the Livox Avia and excellent position and orientation accuracy from the INS-D-OEM ensure that the R2A provides a highly dense and accurate point cloud for powerline classification.
“The Inertial Labs team has a deep understanding of the whole navigation technology ecosystem,” said Rock Robotics CEO and Co-Founder Harrison Knoll (known on YouTube as Indiana Drones). “This has made their products offer world-class performance and maintain easy integration and interoperability with GNSS receivers and onboard computer systems.”
Cliff surveys are traditionally performed with fixed-wing aircraft that collect nadir photos. However, a photogrammetry company accurately triangulated oblique images and mapped them in 3D stereo, developing a new technique in the process.
The erosion survey — along Pacific Coast Highway 1 in Cayucos, California — required imaging the side of the cliff to produce a precise orthomosaic and topographic map of its structure and integrity. The project required a 0.5-inch orthomosaic, a 1.2-inch 3D topographic contour map and a vector-based digital terrain model accurate to 1.2 inches.
Surveyor Paul Reichardt and Robert Lafica, owner of Central Coast Aerial Mapping, placed ground control points around the property and beach, and then used a Trimble R8 GNSS receiver to measure their positions to within 0.04-foot accuracy. They also established four checkpoints for quality control in the photo triangulation process. The R8 and a Trimble 5600 total station were used to collect property corners and top-of-surface elevations to integrate into the 3D topographic map.
At an altitude of 131 feet, the UAS covered the site from both nadir and oblique camera angles in nine passes, collecting 158 photos at an average ground sample distance of 0.5 inches. To capture the cliff side, Lafica flew the UAS about 90 feet from its face and angled the camera at 40 degrees.
The photos and position data were loaded into Trimble’s Inpho UASMaster photogrammetric software to automatically triangulate the images. The software pinpointed 6,368 common features with multiple connections to match images to each other. After initial triangulation, precise coordinates were attached to each control point, a final triangulation was completed to create the maps, and a new technique for mapping cliff faces was born.
In September 2019, the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography conducted a nine-day project on the Heishan Mining Zone in Toksun County, Xinjiang Province, China.
The CHCNAVBB4 UAV was combined with the AlphaUni 900 lidar solution to capture data and produce a topographic map of the mining area at a scale of 1:500. The point-cloud data was collected for subsequent 3D modeling to facilitate asset management and inventory work.
In another project, CHCNAV provided training and equipment for a China Railway No. 10 Engineering Bureau project. For this project, CHCNAV’s BB4 UAV was combined with the AlphaUni 1300 lidar system and deployed to study the topography of the tunnel mouth in Liangshan, Sichuan province.
The BB4 is a high-end unmanned aerial system resulting from an alliance between the two companies in their respective segments. Its scientific design and highly integrated production technology come from CHCNAV — a global manufacturer specialized in efficient geospatial measurement technologies — and its fully automated flight control system from DJI, pioneer in the manufacture of commercial UAVs.
The AlphaUni 900 and AlphaUni 1300 are high-end multi-platform lidar systems, designed and improved by CHCNAV through many years of exploration and data-capture experience. Both are fully integrated systems with high-precision, long-range laser scanners that provide unique waveform lidar technology from Riegl and a high-accuracy inertial navigation system.
The AlphaUni systems can take on demanding surveying missions in the air and on the ground that require the highest quality of data.
Rokubun has launched JASON, a satellite navigation service for accurate geolocation. With JASON, users can achieve highly accurate geolocation without a base station, Rokubun said.
JASON works under a “freemium” pricing model, making it possible to use it for free or to subscribe to monthly professional or premium plans.
JASON is a post-processed kinematic (PPK) satellite positioning service in the cloud that allows users to achieve highly accurate geolocation by uploading GPS/GNSS campaign data. JASON will try to obtain the best possible positioning solution on a best-effort basis. It will use PPK with the nearest GNSS continuously operating reference station (CORS) in the service’s database or with he user’s own provided station if no close CORS are available, or precise point positioning. The data can be processed interactively by using the Rokubun website or automating the workflow via the Rokubun API.
JASON also features a free data-conversion service for GNSS raw measurements.The service is compatible with Argonaut, u-blox, Septentrio, Android GnssLogger and any receiver able to export industry standard RINEX v2 or v3 file formats.
According to Rokubun’s CEO Xavier Banqué-Casanovas, JASON cloud service allows users to get the best possible performance out of their GNSS equipment using an internet browser, without the need for special installation or updates requirements.
Aceinna and Point One Navigation launch hardware and software platform for precise positioning in agriculture, construction, mapping, surveying, robotics and trucking
The OpenARC positioning service is now commercially available. OpenARC is a precise-positioning hardware and software platform for system integration of GNSS corrections with high-performance inertial navigation system (INS) and real-time kinematic (RTK) hardware.
OpenARC is offered by Aceinna, a developer of inertial-based guidance and navigation systems, and powered by Point One Navigation.
With an RTK positioning engine and GNSS corrections delivered from a ground-based network of secure base stations, OpenARC will reliably improve position accuracy for autonomous vehicles to centimeter-level accuracy. The platform combines Point One’s Polaris GNSS correction service with Aceinna’s OpenRTK330 hardware and software solution for developers of autonomous systems in trucking, precision agriculture, construction, mapping, surveying and robotics.
OpenARC provides high-precision positioning and localization applications, enabling centimeter-level accuracy for challenging tasks such as lane keeping, precision agricultural guidance, and UAV landing maneuvers.
OpenARC is integrated into the OpenRTK330LI navigation module to provide a secure, vertically integrated and easy-to-use positioning platform. OpenARC is very scalable, supporting single-unit installations and high-volume deployments.
Point One’s proprietary Polaris GNSS cloud correction service delivers superior station density in areas where operators need it the most, including urban centers and suburban surrounding areas, enabling cold convergence times of under 10 seconds.
Polaris provides continuous position monitoring and tracks all modern satellite constellations. Its base-station technology includes advanced anti-jam, interference mitigation, security and integrity monitoring. Its architecture allows for GNSS corrections in RTK or state space representation (SSR) configuration. Its open-source interfaces are compatible with multiple receivers and chipsets, and the service is compatible with any NTRIP/RTCM3 compliant receiver.
“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.
Screenshot: PATS Indoor Drone Solutions video
Seeking out (tiny) aerial threats
Palm-sized drones are eliminating greenhouse pests in the Netherlands, reports the Associated Press. The drones seek out and destroy moths that produce crop-eating caterpillars. Tech startup PATS Indoor Drone Solutions uses drones as greenhouse sentinels. Cameras scan the airspace, and then steer the drones to fly into moths, destroying them in midair. The drone control system can distinguish between good and bad insects. The system is the brainchild of former students from the Delft University of Technology.
Photo: Skydio
Coming soon to a police department near you
Drone-maker Skydio claims to be shipping the most advanced artificial intelligence-powered drone ever built, reports Forbes. The Skydio X2 is scheduled to launch later this year. The quadcopter reportedly can latch onto targets and follow them, dodging all sorts of obstacles and capturing everything on high-quality video. It can fly in tight, tactical situations, such as inside buildings or through a forest. Skydio claims its software can even predict a target’s next move, whether pedestrian or vehicle. American-made, the Skydio is popular with police departments and is often used for defense.
The Loyal Wingman in its first test flight. (Photo: U.S. Air Force 88th Air Wing Public Affairs)
Fighter jets to get a sidekick
A military drone that will accompany fighter jets into combat flew its maiden voyage at the end of February. The Loyal Wingman, designed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), uses artificial intelligence to target enemies. The Loyal Wingman is about the same size as the F-35 jet it will fly alongside. It has a range of 3,700 kilometers. The plane was flown from the ground control station at the Woomera Range Complex in the outback. The RAAF plans to buy three of the drones.
Photo: Zipline
COVID-19 vaccinations air-dropped in Ghana
Ghana has launched a nationwide program that uses Zipline drones to deliver coronavirus vaccines to rural communities. Deliveries began March 2 under the COVAX program of the World Health Organization (WHO), which aims to provide poorer countries with enough doses to cover 20% of their populations. Zipline has been delivering medical supplies (blood, personal protective equipment, vaccines) since 2016 using its patented, autonomous drones.
New modules enable users to develop high-precision solutions for heavy machinery, ground robotics, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
U-blox’s latest multi-band high-accuracy timing modules concurrently support L1 and L5 GNSS signals. The ZED-F9T-10B and LEA-F9T-10B timing modules, and the RCB-F9T-1 timing card, deliver nanosecond-level timing accuracies required to synchronize cellular network base stations and smart power grids. The ANN MB1 L1/L5 multi-band antenna completes the offering.
The multiband capability compensates for ionosphere error from all GNSS satellite constellations and reduces the timing error under clear skies to less than 5 ns without the need for an external GNSS correction service. To achieve maximum performance, the modules track signals from as many satellites as possible.
Image: u-blox
With satellite constellations transmitting signals on the L5 band nearing completion, the L1/L5 signal combination is becoming a viable option to complement products based on L1 and L2 signals. Modernized L5 signals are expected to deliver improved performance, especially in difficult urban conditions. Because L5 signals fall within the protected aeronautical radionavigation service (ARNS ) frequency band, they are also less subject to RF interference.
The LEA-F9T-10B provides a temperature range extended to –40 to +105° C. Both timing modules include a suite of advanced security features, including:
Improved anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technologies detect and flag malicious RF interference.
Secure boot ensures that the modules can only boot with authentic firmware.
Secure interfaces prevent intruders from tampering with the messages between the receiver and the host system.t
The ANN-MB1 L1/L5 multi-band antenna supports the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, and addresses the scarcity of options in the nascent L1/L5 high-precision antenna mass-market, simplifying testing and deployment of L1/L5 multi-band GNSS solutions. Magnetic and fixed mounting options help meet diverse installation needs.
The new products targets developers in industrial navigation and robotics interested in high-precision positioning technology to locate UAVs, ground robots and agricultural equipment accurately and in real time.
Engineering samples of the u-blox ZED-F9T-10B, RCB-F9T-1 and ANN-MB1 will be available in May, followed by the LEA-F9T.
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.
