Unmanned Systems Technology 024 | Wingcopter 178 l 5G focus l UUVs insight l CES report l Stromkind KAT l Intelligent Energy fuel cell l Earthsense TerraSentia l Connectors focus l Advanced Engineering report

32 Dossier | Wingcopter 178 UAV The Lidar sensor is a Velodyne VLP- 32C, operating at 905 nm and with a maximum imaging range of 200 m. From typical operating altitudes of between 10 and 120 m, it offers an accuracy of 10 cm and 5 cm precision, meaning it will indicate a position down to the nearest 5 cm, but the real position is most likely to be within a circle 10 cm in diameter centred on that position. The solution can be improved with post- processing software, says YellowScan. From this range of altitudes and at speeds of between 1 and 30 m/s, it will cover swathes between 10 and 350 m wide. The laser has a 360° field of view, taking 600,000 shots per second, with multi-echo technology that detects and processes two echoes per shot. Its 220-channel GNSS receiver accepts GPS, GLONASS and Beidou signals, along with RTK and PPK corrections. It also comes with POSPac UAV GNSS and INS processing software, plus YellowScan software to create geo- referenced point clouds. For surveying large areas, the company offers the Sony Alpha 7 R II camera with a 42 MP sensor. The camera can be triggered by the flight controller or, for highly precise data, a PPK correction module. The camera including the lens fits inside the fuselage, to protect it from the environment. “The most powerful mapping solution we integrated is a combination of the 178 HL, a Phase One IXM-100 camera and a Phase One RSM 35 mm lens,” Kadura says. “With the camera system in the payload compartment and two batteries in front, the 178 HL takes off with a weight of around 12 kg. In this configuration, we went to the top of Mount Etna at around 3100 m to map the volcano with our customer [see sidebar: Mapping Mount Etna].” The iXM-100 is a medium-format camera designed for UAV-based survey mapping missions, and is equipped with a backside illuminated sensor that improves sensitivity to light and extends dynamic range. Phase One quotes a light sensitivity range of ISO 50 to 6400 and a dynamic range of 83 dB. The latter is a measure of the camera’s ability to produce detailed images of scenes with high levels of contrast. The sensor chip’s dimensions are 11,664 x 8750 pixels, yielding a total of 101.06 MP in a 4:3 aspect ratio and with pixels measuring 3.76 microns across. The camera’s frame rate is quoted as 3 fps. Wingcopter is integrating new sensors according to customers’ needs, expanding the capabilities of a vehicle that brings the attributes of an electric tiltrotor to the commercial market. February/March 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology Length: 132 cm Wingspan: 178 cm Height: 52 cm Structure: Glass fibre and carbon fibre reinforced plastics Landing gear: skids Maximum take-off weight: 16 kg Empty weight: 6 kg in heavy lift configuration Payload: 2 kg, original configuration; 6 kg heavy-lift configuration Powerplant: four tilting electric motors Batteries: lithium-polymer Propellers: two-blade Speed: 0-50 kph, hover mode; 40-150 kph, fixed-wing mode Wind resistance: 15 m/s average, 20 m/s gusts Range: 100 km with 2 kg payload, 85 km with 4 kg and 45 km with 6 kg Endurance: up to 2 hours Rate of climb: 6 m/s Ceiling: 5000 m Some key suppliers Autopilot hardware: Drotek Autopilot software: UAVenture Motors: KDE Direct Electronic speed controllers: KDE Direct Batteries: Swaytronic Electrical wiring and connectors: Wennmacher Electronic Ground control: UAVenture, other systems optional Lidar: YellowScan Camera: PhaseOne Camera: Sony Camera: Workswell Multi-spectral sensors: MicaSense Data sheet Flush-fitted sensors are more aerodynamically efficient for long-range survey and photogrammetry missions that exploit the UAV’s fixed-wing capabilities (Courtesy of Wingcopter)