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10 Platform one February/March 2020 | Unmanned Systems Technology Researchers in Switzerland have developed a UAV that revolves to provide six degrees of force for higher stability in high winds (writes Nick Flaherty). The team at Voliro Airborne Robotics, a spin-out of ETH Zurich, developed a concept where the arms of a UAV rotate around the main body, enabling thrust vectoring. That gives the UAV the six degrees of freedom force and torque control for improved performance in high winds. However, it requires new control algorithms to compensate for movement in all three directions ( x , y and z ). The technology does not rely on GPS, but instead uses optical cameras and Lidar to navigate indoors as well as outdoors. Data from multiple cameras, an onboard IMU, Lidar, depth sensors and laser tracker are fused together to navigate and avoid collisions. The data can be stored on a 3D model of the environment that has been Boeing has filed a patent on ways to tether unmanned aircraft to power lines to provide propulsion and extend their range and carrying capacity (writes Nick Flaherty). The patent shows aircraft configured to perform tethered and untethered flights, as well as methods of operating multiple aircraft on the same power lines. This would avoid problems with range, especially for monitoring the power lines themselves, although the idea could be extended to UAVs carrying cargo or even people. During a tethered flight, the UAV would be connected to a power line generated by the Lidar sensors and cameras. For an inspection application, for example, the model allows the UAV to visit the same points in the future, to allow corrosion monitoring and thus the asset’s degradation rate. The rotor system maintains a constant using a connecting module to provide the energy for its propulsion motor that provides vertical and horizontal thrust or to charge its battery. In some examples, the aircraft would have a transport module that could be attached to the propulsion module. During an untethered flight, the electrical energy is supplied to the propulsion module from a battery on board the UAV. This energy is used for landing and take-off, for flying away from power lines when there are other craft using them, or when the power line is not in operation. The advantage with this system is that position in high winds, and can keep a sensor or spraying system stable while moving and correcting for gusts of wind. This is a requirement for precise, stable and safe spraying services at height, and can also be used for autonomously cleaning facades or windows. the power line can still transport electrical energy and even be a part of a larger electrical grid, as well as powering and guiding a specially designed aircraft. This would need a clasp with an induction coil to capture the power from the cable and to hold it in place. The motors can be used to take the weight of the craft, as the power would in effect be unlimited. This opens up the transport and people-carrying options. Alternatively, the power lines could be configured with specific arrangements of conductors, conductor designs, voltage ratings and positions of conductors to enable the tethered flights. UAV has stability in a spin Power-line tether for UAVs Airborne vehicles Airborne vehicles An extended motor provides more stability in high winds for this UAV design (Courtesy of Voliro)