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

83 Imaging systems Sony ILCE-6000 (Alpha 6000) and ILCE-7R (Alpha 7R) mirrorless cameras are integrated into the FoxyPro6 for photography in the visible spectrum, with geo-location data from the DroneBox using the single-shot trigger capability. All the data is stored on a 64 Gbyte SD card in the chosen camera. The 24.3 MP sensors in the cameras can be used with a range of lenses depending on the application. The FoxyPro6 uses the Redeye-M from Micasens for multi-spectral analysis. The global shutters provide distortion-free images in the red, green and blue bands for RGB colour images that when processed are aligned to all visible and non-visible bands and vegetation indices. This allows a chlorophyll map to be developed, where the red-edge spectral band is used in conjunction with the other bands to provide a more accurate measure of how well plants are growing and how healthy they are. For thermal imaging the FoxyPro6 also supports cameras from FLIR. The Vue Pro 336 provides a resolution of 336 x 256 pixels across the 7.5-13.5 μm wavelengths. It is factory-calibrated for accurate temperature measurements from an airborne perspective and accepts a 5 V DC input for power. Set-up is via a mobile app (iOS or Android) and built-in Bluetooth, and both video and still images are recorded on an onboard microSD card. A MAVlink data interface provides the trigger for automated image capture and geo-tagging images for mapping and survey missions The same software is used for archiving data on each of the platforms so that data can be easily managed regardless of which one is being used. Battery power  The battery system is platform-specific. The FoxyPro6 has a mission flight time of 43 minutes, while the 13 kg octocopter VTOL platform, again using the DroneBox, can run for an hour. The Bathysphere has five hours of autonomy. For simpler operation, a smaller version of the FoxyPro6 called FoxySlim is capable of scanning up to 10 sq km in a single flight. Fully automatic under control of the DroneBox, the 2 kg craft takes off vertically, follows its flight plan, takes photos and lands vertically. This minimises the cost of operating the vehicle as well as the risk of damage. The electrical distribution system is common to all the systems and was developed in-house by Heliceo using the same voltages and power controllers. Developing all the control technology in a central unit has allowed Heliceo to support a wide range of unmanned platforms. That allows the best format to be used for the application, whether it be rotary systems for imaging, which require stable long shots, or fixed-wing VTOL systems for agricultural analysis, all with the same hardware. With a common archiving and user interface, the support requirements are reduced without compromising the operation of the system, and the technology can be extended to areas such as seaborne missions. Unmanned Systems Technology | February/March 2018 Thrust Five blades and brushless DC motors Wingspan 3.2 m Length 1 m Maximum take-off weight 11 kg Maximum load 2 kg Battery life with load 60 minutes Maximum speed 120 kph (75 mph) Wind resistance (gusts) 30 kph (18 mph) Mission speed 60 kph (37 mph) Control distance 5 km Material Composite FoxyPro6 specification The DroneBox supports the FLIR Vue Pro 336 thermal camera on a range of platforms developed by Heliceo (Courtesy of FLIR)