Unmanned Systems Technology 025 | iXblue DriX I Maintenance I UGVs I IDEX 2019 I Planck Aero Shearwater I Sky Power hybrid system I Delph Dynamics RH4 I GCSs I StreetDrone Twizy I Oceanology Americas 2019

82 where both boat and UAV are moving independently, and the location of the GCS is changing as well. The gimbal can track any object using location details via ‘cursor on target’, and supports all major MIMO/MANET radio manufacturers as well as many of the popular gimbal and autopilot systems. Sector antennas have been used in this way to achieve a data throughput of 15 Mbit/s at a range of over 60 miles to maintain a link to a UAV – more than enough for a 1080p HD video link. Intellectual property One challenge facing GCS developers trying to expand their business is how to judge the balance between acting as a consultancy and being a product company, especially for those who are taking a modular approach. When customers come with a list of requirements, they can ask lots of questions about possible suppliers and what competing companies might be using. That risks IP being transferred between competitors via the GCS supplier answering detailed questions about the system design. One way around that is to have a consultancy agreement, but this can entail a lot of hardware and software development that can be costly for a GCS supplier. It also limits the scalability of a product’s design. That is particularly important as more customers come in from the hobbyist market, buying consumer UAVs and wanting to add a GCS to add value. This can be expensive in hidden r&d costs for the GCS provider. Instead, some modular GCS developers are asking for a clear specification from customers, from the mechanical requirements to the data links and accessories. The components for a specific GCS can then be sourced and integrated with the underlying custom firmware without the risk of losing IP, ready for the customer to add their own proprietary software on top. Making sure the intellectual property is secure is key to making the GCS a strategic part of the supply chain, where the GCS supplier is not limited by being part of a customer’s r&d process. IP considerations also apply to the software. Many GCS suppliers develop the mission and control software for their customers, allowing the aircraft designers access to all the functions but limiting the information they give to their customers. This can be implemented using a USB dongle connected to the flight computer to activate different layers of the GCS software via the application programming interfaces (APIs). All the layers of software can be switched on or off using the API calls for autonomous, directed or manual control. Additional software to programme the dongle is also then part of the GCS software delivered to an aircraft or other unmanned platform developer. Looking ahead The GCS is set to become far more important for controlling multiple unmanned vehicles. These can either be swarms of UAVs in the air, or a hybrid swarm of craft in the air and on the April/May 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology Focus | Ground control stations Ensuring antennas are portable is a key part of GCS design (Courtesy of SW Antennas) The Wing GCS, an example of a fully integrated system (Courtesy of Worthington Sharpe)