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

36 delivery to, and output from, the electric motors (which will be T-Motor systems for at least the first batches of both UAVs). The X12’s motors have a combined weight of 5 kg, and are capable of delivering a total of up to 15 kW continuous power output. The X8’s motors meanwhile have a combined weight of 2 kg and deliver 7 kW. “We’ve had good experience with T-Motor’s machines and ESCs. The supply chain works well, their power-to-weight ratio is solid, and they’ve paired well with propellers from Mejzlik,” Skantze comments. In addition to receiving commands on torque outputs for steering and propulsion, the autopilot will also generate commands for wind compensation based on movements sensed by its IMUs that deviate from the expected readings in pitch, roll and yaw. “The autopilot’s built-in IMUs are of such high quality nowadays, there’s no point in reinventing the wheel in that respect,” Skantze says. Mission systems Different comms systems have been tested and can be used to enable secure control and monitoring links between the UAVs and an end-user’s GCSs, communicating on 2.4 GHz bands with a minimum range of 15 km. Some 4G equipment has also been integrated to enable cellular data comms wherever there is access to 4G networks. Satcom has been prepared for and can be integrated upon customer request. “We’ve carefully modelled for stable waveform propagation from our antennas, and heavily modified camera and sensor feeds to be able to establish solid streaming functionalities down to the ground,” Skantze says. “In terms of what we can stream, the engine and generator together offer an excess electric power supply of 500 W or more to allow any sensors our clients may want to add. We have a modular rack for integrating any sort of payload, but as keeping the CoG stable is very important to us we’ll probably take care of integrations in-house on behalf of our clients – at least initially – and we are in the process of developing a quick hot- swapping system.” As standard issue for surveillance missions, gimbals from fellow Swedish manufacturer DST Control can be installed in front of the cooling fans, which Xer regards as especially high- end multi-sensor payloads. However, as the platforms are sensor-agnostic, the team suggest that Phase One cameras or other types of Lidar as well as comms relays and gas detectors (among other systems) could also be installed quite easily. Computing and data storage systems could also be seamlessly fitted to conduct onboard post-processing of survey data for later extraction, if wireless bandwidths June/July 2022 | Uncrewed Systems Technology While principally payload-agnostic, Xer’s UAVs often integrate DST Control’s gimbals as standard, and Phase One cameras will be offered in the near future Border monitoring, environmental surveys and maritime rescue are among the applications that Xer’s potential customers are most interested in