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55 InterGeo 2018 | Show report are designed to allow commercial multi- copters to land safely in the event of their flight systems failing or being damaged while in the air. “The DRS-5 solution is designed for UAVs weighing 2-7 kg, while the DRS-10 is intended for UASs between 7 and 20 kg,” explained Andreas Ploier. “And we’re now unveiling an integrated parachute solution for the DJI Matrice 600, the DRS-M600. “We use an elastic catapult-like mechanism, which releases the parachute and enables it to open quickly,” he said. That allows the company to deploy the parachutes without using pyrotechnics or explosive elements, which add weight and are banned in some jurisdictions anyway. Using springs or servos also adds weight while compressing the parachute excessively and, after a few months, degrading its ability to open. “Our mechanism enables a weight of 300 g for the DRS-5 and 390 g for the DRS-10,” Ploier said. “And we’ve used IMUs and processors that are as light as possible to keep the weight of the overall payload down and enable them to autonomously detect when the parachute needs to be released.” Rotorkonzept showcased its capabilities in designing UAV airframes, displaying several models including a VTOL-transition craft with an MTOW of 5 kg and 70 minutes of flight time. “It uses carbon rods running through an EPP foam body and wings for easy disassembly and reassembly between flights for transport,” Rouven Kandel said. The craft is designed to take off using four fixed downward-facing electric motors. “While designing this UAV we found that having the propellers positioned above the top of the wing would disrupt the flow of air over the aerofoil during horizontal flight, causing turbulence,” Kandel explained. The airframe was originally designed using carbon fibre, but as Kandel noted, “It is a fairly expensive material, and if you have a hard landing, CFRP can be damaged in ways you can’t see, so there are risks with continuing to fly such a craft without checking it using costly composite material inspection tools. EPP foam is becoming more popular because it’s far cheaper, and if it suffers any damage it simply breaks.” Atmos UAV showcased Marlyn, a VTOL-transition tailsitter-type aircraft with a blended-wing body and four electric motors distributed across its two wings and two vertical fins. “It takes off vertically with its nose pointed towards the sky, and once it’s reached a suitable height it tilts forward automatically into horizontal, fixed- wing flight,” Josephine Vos said. “We developed the autopilot, the dual battery system and flight planning and control software ourselves, as there are no COTS solutions for these VTOL-type aircraft.” Once cruising, the dorsal and ventral motors shut down to save power, and feather to maintain aerodynamics. The Marlyn is tested to operate in winds of up to 45 kph, with the EPP foam wings, flaps and rudders designed to be slightly flexible to improve performance in such conditions. After performing its mission, the Marlyn returns autonomously to where it took off. Advanced Navigation displayed its range of INS devices, including the 37 g Spatial GNSS/INS, the company’s smallest system. “Spatial provides 2 cm accuracy for position, and is class-leading for accuracy in GNSS denied environments,” said Chris Shaw. “We also offer an OEM version that weighs just 5 g, and our customers have integrated a lot of these into miniature camera gimbals and other UAV payloads.” Advanced Navigation is also working on a new range of INSs that will offer greater functionality and performance in smaller packages. “2019 will be a busy year in terms of product launches for us, with a range of releases that will offer new capabilities for our customers,” Shaw said. Unmanned Systems Technology | December/January 2019 A primed Drone Rescue Systems parachute Advanced Navigation’s Spatial GNSS/INS