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76 Show report | Commercial UAV Show 2018 their thumbs more easily. All levers on the Micronav are kept within 2 cm of the joysticks to avoid the need for an operator to readjust their grip during operation. Embention is enhancing the certification compliance levels of its Veronte autopilots to bring them in line with key aerospace equipment standards such as DO-160 for environmental testing requirements. “That means we are certifying the autopilots’ waterproofing, EMI shielding, electric spikes and some other qualities,” said Javier Espuch. “We think all autopilots and UAV equipment will have to go through these measures in time. “The aircraft certification process involves the complete UAV system, so we anticipate our customers will have to prove to aviation authorities at some point that the whole UAS is safe,” he said. “The autopilot is a key part of that, so we’re providing documents proving compliance with DO-178C, DO-254 and DO-160.” The company is also expanding its cloud services and integrating a 4G comms receiver onto the Veronte control board, to transmit autopilot data across the internet for fleet management, BVLOS operation and flight data aggregation. Tritex NDT exhibited its Multigauge 6000 multiple-echo ultrasonic thickness gauge, which has been developed to measure the thicknesses of metal hulls and structures without removing any of the coatings on them. It is designed to be mounted on a UAV. “That allows measurements to be taken at height and removes the need for scaffolding or rope access, saving time and money,” said Jon Sharland. “The measurements are transmitted to control software up to 500 m away, and we can send a return signal to the gauge to pump a small quantity of gel onto the face of the probe extending from the gauge. “Gel is required for better physical contact between the probe and the structure being inspected, because ultrasound doesn’t travel in air. Typical applications include the inspection of wind farms, ships, bridges or chemical tanks.” A flexible probe holder allows for easy alignment onto the surface being measured, holding the single-crystal soft- faced probe about 2 ft from the gauge and gel dispenser. The system weighs 520 g overall and consumes between 4 and 20 mA from a 10-32 V DC power supply, to measure thicknesses while ignoring coatings up to 20 mm deep. The Bionic Eye exhibited a number of UAVs from partner companies that have made use of its airframe engineering capabilities. Among the craft on show was the GD-40X from Korean manufacturer Gryphon Dynamics – a cinematography X-8 multi-rotor with a 3.6 kg empty weight and a 40 kg MTOW – as well as Gryphon’s OT-1450 agricultural spray octocopter, which can carry 10 litres of pesticide or fertiliser fluid within its 25 kg MTOW. “Most UAV and sensor manufacturers will collaborate to tailor a sensor to fit an airframe’s size, weight and power requirements, but we go the other way – re-engineering UAV airframes to carry much heavier sensors than their payload capacity was previously fixed at,” said Andrew Eio. “The MTOW is often based heavily around the motor and propeller configuration – it’s by no means impossible to take a UAV with a 20 kg MTOW and increase it to a 70 kg MTOW just by picking propellers with better aerodynamics or motors with higher torque-to-weight ratios,” he said. “That’s critical for film crews and the like, who use heavy, high-resolution cameras.” The company also said it is working with Skycorp on its e-Drone Zero UAV, designing the quadrotor airframe December/January 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology Embention has enhanced its Veronte autopilot Tritex NDT’s Multigauge 6000 for measuring metal thicknesses