Unmanned Systems Technology 011 | C-Astral Bramor ppX | IMUs | Autonomous farming | UAV Turbines UTP50R | London Show report | Advanced materials | Las Vegas Expo report

3 December/January 2017 | Contents Unmanned Systems Technology | December/January 2017 0 4 Intro The industry is blessed with an abundance of propulsion solutions at the moment. These are the good days 06 Platform one: Mission-critical info nuTonomy trials its driverless car in the USA, first purely unmanned ship on the drawing board, new UAV Lidar could be the smallest and lightest on the market, and much more 16 In conversation: Richard Hardiman RanMarine Technology’s CEO explains his plans for using autonomy to rid the world’s ports of trash 20 Dossier: C-Astral Bramor ppX We explore the development of this UAV that heralds a revolution in precision surveying applications 32 Focus: Inertial measurement units Details of the latest innovations in this key technology for unmanned system navigation 44 Insight: Autonomous farming Modern agriculture is now able to exploit autonomy thanks to some key advances in the technology 50 Dossier: UAV Turbines UTP50R This recuperated gas micro-turbine promises advantages over piston and rotary engines for small and medium-sized UAVs. Here’s how it was developed 62 Show report: Commercial UAV 2016 Highlights of the principal product launches and announcements from this exhibition in London – billed as the largest show of its kind in Europe 68 Focus: Advanced materials Unmanned systems use a variety of advanced materials in their construction, but what are the actual options and the advantages of each? We explain 76 Show report: Commercial UAV Expo This trade show and conference in Las Vegas did not disappoint the 1700-plus attendees. Here’s our selection of the most interesting announcements 82 PS: GNC systems An intriguing look at how guidance, navigation and control technology keeps the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on track, and what the future holds for deep space communications 68 20 44 32 16