Unmanned Systems Technology 019 | Navya Autonom Cab | Batteries | UGVs Insight | UAV Factory UAV28-EFI | Swiss Aerobotics Hummel | UMEX 2018 report | Antennas | Oceanology International 2018 report

97 Oceanology International 2018 | Show report Patricia Joris. “It also has an L-band demodulator to filter out the L-band signals from PPP corrections, because that band’s heavy use can cause harmful interference owing to the scale of cross-talk.” The 1.5 kg system also has a supplementary antenna connector to be used when having to compensate for poor satellite links in polar regions, where vehicles working at sea level risk not being able to communicate with satellites close to the horizon. Marine Advanced Research exhibited its WAM-V (Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel), a customisable USV platform that features a central payload structure connected to twin inflatable hulls with hinged motor pods. “Each pontoon moves independently from the other, with the payload tray suspended and pivoting from the central beam,” said Joshua Mehlman. The forward legs of the central frame connect to the pontoons through a spring-supported ball joint that allows this independent movement and rotation. The patented suspension system is designed to enable more stable operations than conventional vessels of a similar size can achieve in turbulent seas. “WAM-Vs can be produced in sizes ranging from 2.5 m to more than 30 m, for inland and near-shore environments to deep water,” Mehlman said. “The 5 m variant [on show at the exhibition] is set up with Torqeedo electric outboard motors, and depending on how many batteries you install and the weight of the payload, you could go up to 4.5 hours at 11 knots or up to 50 hours at 3 knots. The 6 m version with gas outboard engines can operate for 5 days at 6 knots.” Atop the WAM-V could be seen Planck Aerosystems’ Shearwater UAV, a quadcopter designed for use in offshore and offroad missions by landing on moving vehicles. Josh Wells said, “We use onboard sensors and computing to compensate for the pitch, roll and heave of boats, to land precisely. We’ve been working with the WAM-V’s engineers to integrate our system into theirs, and have demonstrated tandem operations a few times using them both.” Planck’s guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system uses computer vision and other sensor methodologies to detect proprietary fiducial (reference) markers installed on the desired landing platform. Data coming from the onboard sensors then allows the UAV to navigate and land on a boat without using GNSS positioning, which was found to be too slow and too inaccurate to compensate for sea vehicle motion, small landing spaces on small vessels, and multi-path issues on larger ships. The GNC also enables the 750 mm Shearwater to land on moving road vehicles. The UAV’s central body houses the electronics and uses conformal coating, stainless steel enclosures and gold- plated connectors to protect against sea spray and so on. Norwegian Subsea showcased its MRU 6000 marine unit. The system can be integrated with marine vehicles for navigation or with sonar sensors for motion compensation. “The system records roll and pitch to 0.02 º , and heave to 5 cm, as part of an inertial navigation system, as well as heading and acceleration,” said Lars Gaarder Torgersen. “Our MEMS IMU is contained within the system’s IP68-rated housing.” The MRU 6000 weighs 1.2 kg and measures 15.4 x 8.6 x 6.7 cm, with a typical power consumption of 6 W, and can store up to 32 Gbytes of recorded navigation data. EvoLogics displayed its Sonobot USV, which is designed for bathymetric surveys. “The vessel integrates a sidescan sonar and either a single-beam or multi-beam echo sounder – whichever is required,” said Philipp Bannasch. “It can work for up to 10 hours, and is best suited to lakes, shallow waters, harbours and rivers.” The system can be equipped with a USBL transceiver to act as a surface communication and positioning node for AUVs, which EvoLogics is currently developing. “The USV’s wi-fi link can be used to send and receive orders for AUVs in real time, or to act as a relay to extend the AUVs’ operational ranges,” Bannasch added. Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2018 EvoLogics’ Sonobot, aimed at bathymetric surveys The MRU 6000 from Norwegian Subsea can be integrated for navigation or with sonars