Issue 40 Unmanned Systems Technology October/November 2021 ANYbotics ANYmal D l AI systems focus l Aquatic Drones Phoenix 5 l Space vehicles insight l Sky Eye Rapier X-25 l FlyingBasket FB3 l GCS focus l AUVSI Xponential 2021

75 FlyingBasket FB3 | In operation to the national authority, although the authority is developing the syllabus for modules such as communication and night operations. For operations assessed as having higher levels of risk, the EASA says operators will need to use training entities recognised by national authorities. Mission preparation In preparing for a mission, the first task is to apply for authorisation from the relevant national aviation authority. Next comes a series of trial flights in which the operational team carries payloads that are as close as possible in terms of the size, weight and shape to the ones they will eventually carry for the customer, to make sure the UAV can lift them safely. That is followed by a set of rehearsal flights, which again are designed to be as much like the real mission as possible to iron out any wrinkles. Operating in mountainous regions presents a number of challenges in addition to the rapidly changeable weather and turbulence created as large air masses pass over ridge lines and through valleys for example. This environment is home to FlyingBasket though, which is based in the small town of Sciaves in South Tyrol. “We gain leverage from the challenges of our geographical location to enhance the drone’s robustness and redundancy, and the operational team’s capabilities,” Rohra says. The idea is that proving its capabilities in this environment will make it easier to move into more densely populated and closely regulated urban environment. More mundanely, getting to the launch point can present problems because mountain road networks are inevitably limited and easily blocked, and the FB3 with its operational team and support equipment is transported using a van- and-trailer combination. In addition to the FB3 and its ground control station, the van carries extra sets of batteries, the battery charger, spare parts, hand tools, electrical multimeters and so on, while the trailer carries the UAV. Once at the location, the order of business begins with a briefing involving the pilot, their assistant and the airspace observer or observers to lay out the mission plan and select the positions on the ground that the key players will occupy, Rohra explains. Next, the FB3 is unpacked from the trailer and prepared for flight. As well as housing and protecting the aircraft during road transport, with its sides folded down the trailer also serves as the take-off and landing platform. The pilot and their assistant refer to a checklist before each flight and after every landing, which consists mostly of basic functional checks, a visual inspection and a battery swap. Assisted remote piloting Currently, the FB3 is operated as a remotely piloted aircraft with some automated functions to reduce the pilot’s workload. For example, the company’s engineers have added waypoint navigation capabilities and the operations team has completed a number of flights using this feature. In addition to maintaining visual contact with the UAV when necessary (in VLOS flights), the pilot manages the vehicle through a GCS that shows images from a suite of cameras that include one forward-facing camera and another that looks vertically downward to provide an overview of the payload and the landing site, which is essential to the vertical reference flying that the delivery of loads on the end of long lines entails. When the pilot is using the camera images displayed on the GCS as a reference, that portion of the operation is considered to be extended VLOS flight, as are portions of the flight in which the pilot is assisted by visual airspace observers. In its latest iteration, the GCS is a self- contained unit incorporating the pilot’s directional and power control levers, the camera views and the moving map navigation display along with the radio data link. Providing 7 to 30 minutes of flight time, depending on the payload, the FB3’s battery pack consists of four modules, each of which fits into its own compartment on the top of the airframe. FlyingBasket designed the FB3 as much for ease of maintenance as for high performance. The ability to modify and customise the design is also important to the company, and that is easier to accomplish quickly in metal than in plastics or composites. As there were essentially no off-the-shelf battery packs, ESCs or control systems that met their demanding requirements, the company decided to develop its own in-house. However, the eight brushless DC motors are supplied by T-Motor and the two-blade propellers by Falcon. Engineering so many key subsystems in- house took a lot of effort but has provided a valuable degree of flexibility and control over the technology, Rohra explains. Bespoke UAV options Alongside the FB3, the company offers to build bespoke multi-copter UAVs that are not restricted to the current version and which could carry payloads of up to 400 kg. At the time of writing, FlyingBasket was preparing to carry out more missions in support of energy and telecoms infrastructure development projects. “The current regulatory framework is still quite restrictive in driving market maturation, but FlyingBasket is working to shape the UAV ecosystem and create opportunities across multiple industries,” the Moroders say. Unmanned Systems Technology | October/November 2021 Maximum take-off weight: 170 kg Payload: 100 kg Empty weight: 70 kg Flight time: 7 to 30 minutes, depending on payload Specifications