Uncrewed Systems Technology 044 l Xer Technolgies X12 and X8 l Lidar sensors l Stan UGV l USVs insight l AUVSI Xponential 2022 l Cobra Aero A99H l Accession Class USV l Connectors I Oceanology International 2022

112 sensor data to support a precise six- degrees-of-freedom solution. SPAN technology is IMU-agnostic and can scale with different IMU hardware solutions including those from Epson, Honeywell, KVH and others,” Fleming added. Both the OEM7700 and 7720 can track all satellite constellations including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and India’s NavIC, as well as satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) such as QZSS. Each system produces readings accurate to 1 cm with RTK processing, up to 60 cm accuracy when using SBAS, and can be integrated using comms protocols including USB, CAN bus and Ethernet. The OEM7720 differs from its counterpart in being a dual-antenna system to provide a GNSS heading solution. It consumes 2.3 W compared with the OEM7700’s 1.3 W, but in exchange the vessel outputs heading information to 0.08 º accuracy (antenna baseline 2 m). Hexagon also featured GNSS PPP correction services from both Veripos and Novatel through its Apex and TerraStar portfolios. These provide real-time positioning at the centimetre level, which is essential for marine navigation and positioning, particularly for autonomous and uncrewed marine vessels. Apex corrections from Veripos were developed specifically for offshore applications such as dynamic positioning and hydrographic surveying. Depending on options selected, they can also use satellites from GPS L1 and L2, GLONASS L1 and L2, BeiDou B1 and B2, Galileo E1 and E5b, and QZSS L1 and L2. Inertial Labs discussed in detail its latest r&d in SLAM development for the autonomous and smart vehicles space, and the potential it holds for the uncrewed world. “Our systems have grown increasingly more versatile over the years in terms of what they can use in enhancing the performance of the navigation solution,” said William Dillingham. “Whether it’s velocity readings from an air data or wind speed sensor, information from an onboard encoder or one of the many other aiding sources we can accept, every bit helps and we want to use this data tactically. “Having our own calibrated IMUs and using various readily available GNSS receivers helps considerably. On top of that, we’ve recently started working with a lot of different optical sensors and Lidar scanners, and that’s moved us into developing low-cost integrated payload solutions for the topographic survey market. “That, combined with everything going autonomous and the growing affordability of sensing components, drove us to work on making a low-cost system that could enable highly accurate and intuitive navigation and surveying solutions through combined inertial systems, cameras and Lidars. “Such a solution is going to be critical for autonomous mobile robots in the e-commerce world, inspection USVs populating harbours and shipyards, and much more.” To that end, the company is experimenting with sensor combinations such as its RESEPI. This is a combined dual-antenna GNSS-INS system with a built-in data logger and integrated Lidar, camera and comms systems engineered for real-time and post-processed generation of point clouds for surveyors’ analyses. The aim is to devise a means for performing real-time navigation with the sensor combination. Tests of these platforms will then be followed up with algorithmic work for optimised sensor fusion. This solution will output raw data that end-users could use to develop SLAM models tailored for their autonomous vehicles. These payloads would also give the architecture for partners to develop onboard obstacle avoidance and recognition and response algorithms. The company also displayed its INS-U, a new GNSS-aided INS integrating a U-blox GNSS receiver in an IP67-rated enclosure. It has been designed for VTOL-transitioning UAVs as well as fixed-wing platforms, and is now commercially available. “The INS-U has an embedded air data computer [ADC] that calculates velocity in the absence of GNSS, and we’ve worked with a number of companies to ensure it performs well in mission-critical situations for both GNSS-enabled and GNSS- denied environments,” Dillingham said. “We offer different air data pressure sensors that customers can select for their ADC, as per their application. Depending on the airspeeds and altitudes customers want to fly at, they can choose the more expensive, sensitive and higher resolution of the two sensors to maintain accurate readings in the absence of dense pressure data, or the less expensive option if they intend to fly at lower altitudes and higher airspeeds.” We met RTSYS, who had travelled from France to showcase its line of AUVs. “The Comet-300 AUV was the first of our vehicles, which we released June/July 2022 | Uncrewed Systems Technology SBG Systems’ Pulse-40 IMU