Unmanned Systems Technology 020 | Alpha 800 I Additive Manufacturing focus I USVs insight I Pegasus GE70 I GuardBot I AUVSI Xponential 2018 show report I Solar Power focus I CUAV Expo Europe 2018 show report

76 have already gained useful experience in advanced slot and cavities construction for improving the performance of antennas. “In unmanned systems, the space you get on circuit boards is becoming tighter and tighter, while weight and size concerns are always mounting. So, in PCBs you’re getting down to stricter line and space tolerances. Putting it all together is a challenge, and increasingly demanded in the unmanned space,” Christoffersen said. Alta Devices debuted its fourth- generation solar cell at the show, dubbed the Gen4 Anylight. It is thinner and lighter than previous generations, and significantly improves the weight and aerodynamic profile for unmanned aircraft and road vehicles. It was developed specifically for the autonomous vehicle market. The benefits for UAV operations will include the potential for extended range, increased payload capacity and a greater flight envelope (larger service ceiling, faster rate of climb and broader range of latitudes). “It’s about 40% lighter than our Gen3 Anylight cells, which means an improvement in the power-to-weight ratio of about 160%,” said Rich Kapusta. “That’s very valuable to all UAV platforms – higher power, lower weight.” Key to the improvement was reducing the amount of backing material on the cell, by making the polyethylene terephthalate layer on the bottom of the Gen4 cell thinner without altering the performance of the cell. “There is actually an improvement in the efficiency, concurrent with the weight reduction,” Kapusta added. Alta Devices says it has a vision of ‘true autonomy’, where autonomous vehicles don’t need to stop to refuel. A critical component of this is the use of ‘autonomous power’ such as solar. Ulti-Mate Connector displayed its Nano connector solutions, designed to MIL-DTL-32139 standards and intended for use in PCBs in defence applications. A common approach to manufacturing the contacts to the MIL-DTL-32139 specification uses a twisted wire bundle that is cut, coined and soldered at its tip, then crimped once it’s in a barrel and again to a solid round copper wire. But as Greg Jones explained, “The additional crimping of the round contact can also devastate the material and require a lot of straightening out and rework. “Ulti-Mate’s design uses an integral tail in both the pin and socket, so there is no crimp joint, because the contact tail is integral to the original stamping, which avoids the issue of crimp resistance.” Cepton attended the exhibition to showcase its Sora 200 Lidar system for UAV and ground mapping applications. The unit is named for its detection range of 200 m, enabling UAVs to fly higher than the 400 ft flight ceiling regulated by the FAA. “Flying higher means being able to map a greater swathe, and more ground covered per mission,” said Wei Wei. “Obstacles such as power poles and trees can also be avoided, and the system’s 200 Hz frame rate allows fixed- wing UAVs flying at 20-30 m/s to conduct mapping while maintaining the same density of data that a quadcopter with a standard 20 Hz Lidar would gain.” The system weighs 550 g, measures 4 x 3.6 x 2.5 in and consumes 9 W of power. Cepton’s proprietary approach to Lidar, which it calls Micro-Motion Technology, works analogously to the voice coils of a loudspeaker. Wei explained, “There’s no contact, friction or rotation of parts inside the Lidar. The scanning is powered by finely controlled micro-motions, which enables us to achieve our level of performance at that size and power. Rotating Lidars use a lot more power, lasers and detectors, making them harder to scale down in terms of complexity and cost.” June/July 2018 | Unmanned Systems Technology Show report | AUVSI Xponential 2018 The Gen4 Anylight UAV solar cell from Alta Devices is lighter and thinner than previous generations Ulti-Mate’s Nano connectors for PCBs are designed for defence applications