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81 DSEI 2019 | Show report allows us to fly in dead-reckoning mode accurately for longer than before”. In addition, video processing enables a camera-guided mode that slaves the aircraft to a target on the GCS display. “The operator can concentrate on a target and not worry about the flying,” Lidor said. “If I focus on a target, the helicopter will circle it. If the target is moving, it will follow.” Along with a parachute recovery system, these features have been developed over the past two years. Most of the engineering is done in-house, Lidor said, including the mechanical aspects, the autopilot and the GCS with its software. The two- cylinder engine comes from MVVS, but Steadicopter had a part in designing the liquid cooling system. Lidor said, “Liquid cooling means we have no problems with removing heat, even on summer days when it’s 40 C.” FLIR Systems discussed improvements to its range of ground robots at the show, including new radios that provide greater margins in comms range, new payloads, a new controller, integration with UASs and progress towards true plug-and-play accessories through compliance with the Interoperability Profile (IOP). A new addition to the First Look throwable reconnaissance robot’s range of tools is a small recoil-less disrupter that it uses to disable IEDs. First Look can also support a MultiRAE Pro chemical and biological agent and gas detector, as can FLIR’s other robots (SUGV, Packbot and Cobra), being integrated through a partnership with MultiRAE. The uPoint Multi-Robot Controller (MRC) is a rugged touchscreen tablet offered with all the robots as an alternative to the traditional games-style controller with haptic feedback. The MRC now comes with a new Persistent Systems MPU-5 MIMO radio, which increases the control range on the First Look from 300 m to about 500 m. “These radios also provide automatic mesh networking,” Blas Avila said. “Any time these radios are in the same area they will automatically act as relay nodes.” On the larger SUGV and Packbot bomb disposal UGVs, with their greater antenna heights, the MPU-5 provides a range of about 1 km and 1.5 km respectively. The networking mode extends that further, and strengthens connectivity in urban environments and inside multi-storey buildings. Avila added that FLIR has put a lot of effort into writing software that enables a wide range of sensors and effectors to work with all its robots so that customers can use devices they already have in inventory. These days that is proprietary software, he said, not plug-and-play, but new versions will be. “IOP compliance is something we’re working on with all the robots, and we’re close to achieving that,” he said. Drone Evolution unveiled SafeFlight, its concept for a UAV protected from RF jamming, GNSS spoofing and laser attack, for example. It is based on building the airframe from polished titanium that will act as a Faraday cage to protect the electronics from harmful electromagnetic radiation and reflect laser energy instead of absorbing it as heat, said Toby Townrow. It is even impervious to small arms fire. He said, “Ultimately it’s all about integrity, ensuring that you have safe and secure drone delivery systems.” He added that countering GNSS spoofing, in which the drone’s navigation receiver is bombarded with false signals mimicking multiple satellites, would involve switching to a combination of inertial navigation and another source of data such as visual mapping or triangulation from mobile phone towers. Drone Evolution is still working on a concept for a GNSS-independent landing system, with a coded laser beacon currently a favoured option. SeaDrone exhibited its Inspector 3 micro-ROV, a 7.5 kg battery-powered circular vehicle designed to operate easily in cross-currents. The company also announced Inspector 3 Start, a new, simpler and lower-cost version. “Research showed that local government agencies would buy large inspection vehicles because smaller ones they tried would be swept away by strong currents. Solving the problem was primarily about the power-to-drag ratio, which is where the circular shape came from,” Eduardo Moreno said. “Typical vehicles tend to be box-shaped, but we decided to make a vehicle that is perfectly circular around the z axis, so if you do have to change your orientation, the vehicle will quickly adapt.” Four horizontal thrusters work with the shape to enable it to handle cross- currents from any direction, while a central thruster provides vertical control. Remote control is achieved through a games controller, an app that runs on an Apple tablet and a floating router. SeaDrone hinted at a significant app update coming this year. The Inspector 3 Start has a lesser depth rating (115 m versus 125 m) and a lower maximum speed (0.9 m/s versus 1.5 m/s) than the Inspector 3, but prices start at US$8599, which for some missions makes it disposable. In mine- countermeasures, for example, it costs less than a standard demolition charge typically placed by a larger vehicle. Unmanned Systems Technology | December/January 2020 Seadrone’s Inspector 3 underwater ROV