Unmanned Systems Technology 018 | CES show report | ASV Global C-Cat 3 USV | Test centres | UUVs insight | Limbach L 275 EF | Lidar systems | Heliceo DroneBox | Composites

46 image resolution should be tested to define parameters such as the minimum resolvable image particle differences or spatial frequency. Comms relay payloads in particular should be tested for electromagnetic compatibility, given the emissive qualities of equipment used in such missions and the potential for their use in life- threatening situations. Testing different forms of shielding or band pass filtering is recommended, as is testing over different flight patterns, all the available frequencies and with multiple transmission and reception antennas at the ground (or other endpoint of the relay test). That may help to home in on the optimal configuration to achieve the desired rate of transfer and delay to directly communicate or interface with an asset at BVLOS distances. Testing centres Testing centres are increasingly key to providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities for validating unmanned systems. In many countries now, the take- off weight of a UAV, or operation of a prototype vehicle, is subject to considerable regulations and restrictions on where it can be deployed for evaluation. Such centres exist thanks to the appropriate licencing, as well as controlled ground and airspace. These test centre-controlled pockets of sky stretch for thousands of kilometres in order to facilitate BVLOS testing, and thousands of feet up to enable testing a UAV’s maximum altitude capability or its maximum climb or descent. As well as vast rectangular areas, long thin regions of airspace are common for corridor mapping tests as demand for this application grows. Another advantage of specific UAV testing airspace is the unlikeliness of collisions, as no other users are generally permitted to fly at the same time. Also, such areas tend to be in unpopulated areas, minimising the risk of harm to people or property in the event of a crash landing. Even so, when flights over populated areas are needed – to test for example how the primary data link and systems handle the EM emissions coming from a town, city or airport – this tends to be made easier by the airspace being located near such places, as well as through in-house certification procedures. There are also often hangars on site for storage and pre-flight checks, and occasionally for testing indoor UAVs for their ability to navigate and move in a controlled fashion. Navigating with a roof, walls and possibly other obstacles around them is a useful quality for multi-copters intended for factory or warehouse operations. For systems that do not rely on launch and recovery equipment, test centres built on airbases tend to supply the necessary ground-based infrastructure. There are runways of asphalt, concrete, gravel or grass at different centres, enabling taxiing, take-off and landing, and with varying degrees of lighting systems for night missions where needed. Launch pads for VTOL-capable systems that need clear space and solid ground are also common. Test centres also often have laboratories for system adjustments. For electronic systems soldering stations, oscilloscopes and testers might be needed, as well as battery charging stations. Camera systems meanwhile might need targets to enable pre-flight calibrations, or field targets for calibration in mid-flight. The use of different camera systems on a UAV payload can allow additional testing for UAV developers searching for lateral mission capabilities such as night missions with integrated IR and EO cameras. Another factor is that if a UAV is damaged, having tools and materials on site such as saws, drills, additive manufacturing printers, CNC machines, carbon fibre tubes and spare propellers can enable rapid post-flight repairs and save a UAV’s developer the time and expense of bringing their own. The wide range of evaluations needed to satisfy the safety and reliability of an February/March 2018 | Unmanned Systems Technology Test centres are often built on former airports or airbases, which offer ground infrastructure such as asphalt runways and hangars (Courtesy of Air Traffic Laboratory for Advanced Systems) Testing centres may offer indoor zones for UAVs built for warehouse or factory applications (Courtesy of Droneport)