Unmanned Systems Technology 004 | Delair-Tech DT18 | Autopilots | Rotron RT600 | Unmanned surface vehicles | AMRC | Motion control | Batteries

32 T he development of autopilots is one of the more secretive areas of unmanned systems, with the underlying control algorithms a closely guarded technology. Although the technology is well established, with autopilots having been used on airliners for many years, the advent of unmanned systems in all their different forms is adding additional layers of complexity to them. Being at the heart of an unmanned system, advances in the technology are also changing the way autopilots interact with other parts of an aircraft, such as the flight control system (FCS). Autopilots have been developed for rotary aircraft, fixed-wing and even hybrid systems that can change between the two. But they are also now an increasingly important element in the control systems for driverless cars and unmanned boats. Indeed, for example, the latest update to the software in the Tesla Model S electric car is called the ‘autopilot’, and allows the car to steer itself on a road using data from front- and rear-facing radar, optical and infrared cameras and ultrasonic sensors around the vehicle. The last issues to be resolved before this update was launched included a ‘corner case’ of identifying worn-out road markings at sunset. Whether handling this level of image recognition is the role of the autopilot or the sensor fusion subsystem highlights the increasing integration of the control functions in an unmanned system, and Autopilot technology is heading for some profound changes, writes Nick Flaherty , who highlights the key developments Autumn 2015 | Unmanned Systems Technology Running on auto