Light UAS BVLOS surveillance and delivery Stephan Barnard Barnard - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Light UAS BVLOS surveillance and delivery Stephan Barnard Barnard Microsystems Limited UAS = Unmanned Aircraft System BVLOS = Beyond Visual Line Of Sight LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 1

The Panchito unmanned aircraft • Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) capability 2x electric lift motors 2x electric lift motors 2x electric lift motors 2x electric lift motors LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 2

Automatic vertical take-off (1 and 2) and landing (3 and 4) capability, even in snowy conditions LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 3

The larger Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) twin engine InView UAV Satellite comms – Explorer 325 using the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband service The ADAS20 RADAR unit for UAV collision detect and avoid in Class G air space LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 4

Surveillance: quality of video imagery relayed using the Inmarsat Swiftbroadband contested service • The InView UAV uses satellite communications (“ satcoms ”) in beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) applications • Relatively low bit rate between 70 kBit/sec and 170 kBit/sec, depends on number of people sharing the same spot beam at the time (the total 34 MHz bandwidth is shared, or “contested”, by the users within the spot beam) LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 5

Surveillance: quality of video imagery relayed using the Inmarsat Swiftbroadband contested service • Relayed thermal video imagery example • Suitable to detect people and vehicles • Insufficient resolution to identify objects LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 6

Automated object detection Rather than have one payload operator per unmanned aircraft in a formation of UAVs, we use machine intelligence to interpret sensor data in real time on each UAV to detect statistically significant anomalies, and then only relay information when an anomaly is detected – so making good use of a limited bandwidth communication link. LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 7

The Panchito unmanned aircraft in BVLOS cargo missions • Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) capability • Automatic transition between VTOL and forward flight modes • Automatic cargo detachment capability 2x electric lift motors 2x electric lift motors 2x electric lift motors cargo 2x electric lift motors LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 8

The Panchito unmanned aircraft in BVLOS cargo missions Automatic cargo detachment capability • Uses electrical pulse to switch magnetic field ON and OFF • Can drop a cargo from the air • Can release a cargo when the UAV is on the ground cargo LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 9

Beyond Visual Line Of Sight cargo delivery • Air drop food, water and medical supplies by parachute • Monitor and contribute to the management of disaster relief efforts • UAV VTOL capability enables the UAVs to deliver aid to areas that are inaccessible by road • Payload mass: 20 – 80 kg (40 kg nominal) • Payload mass: 5-20 kg (10 kg nominal) • Payload volume: 375 litres • Payload volume: 33 litres • Minimum release altitude: 500 feet AGL • Minimum release altitude: 350 feet • Maximum release airspeed: 120 knots • Maximum release airspeed: 130 knots • Parachute landing speed: 15-30 mph • Parachute landing speed: 15-30 mph The above information from Air Drop Box Limited ( www.airdropbox.co.uk ) LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 10

Testing automatic cargo detachment from a test multi-rotor UAV LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 11

Testing automatic cargo detachment from an airborne UAV with Vertical Take Off and Landing capability LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 12

Development of precision UAV landing technology to enable automatic cargo attachment capability We are developing RF beacon detection for coarse cargo acquisition, using a Monopulse Phase Comparator circuit based on four patch antennas, shown below, with four output signals from the underside, analog, microwave circuitry. Each signal output is derived from a specific combination of the signals from each of the four microstrip patch antennas. The elevation and azimuthal deviation signals from boresight are externally normalised to the SUM output signal. elevation signal Azimuthal (bearing) signal sum signal Terminated in 50 Ω load LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 13

Development of precision UAV landing technology to enable automatic cargo attachment capability We are developing an automatic optical registration technology to complement the microwave beacon detection to enable precision UAV landing to enable automated pick up of a cargo from a remote, BVLOS, location. LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 14

Demonstration of multiple UAV formation operation This will pave the way for use of UAV formations and swarms in future BVLOS cargo and surveillance operations UAV #5 UAV #4 UAV #1 UAV #3 UAV #2 LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 15

Acknowledgements • InnovateUK for support for the ADAS20 UAV based Collision Detect and Avoid project • European Space Agency (ESA) for support for the UASatCom Feasibility Study, the SURMON Demonstration and the ESTARR Technology projects • UK MOD for support for our Fractionated Delivery of Integrated Effects (FDIE) Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects • UK MOD for support for our Autonomous Last Mile ReSupply (ALMRS) Phase 1 project • UK MOD, InnovateUK and the Department for International Development (DFID) for support for our ALMRS Phase 2 project LIGHT UAS BVLOS SURVEILLANCE AND DELIVERY 16