Uncrewed Systems Technology 047 l Aergility ATLIS l AI focus l Clevon 1 UGV l Geospatial insight l Intergeo 2022 report l AUSA 2022 report I Infinity fuel cell l BeeX A.IKANBILIS l Propellers focus I Phoenix Wings Orca

60 but then fly for long distances and cover very large areas in fixed-wing mode,” says Robert Leake, Quantum Systems’ EMEA regional manager. “Using the data we can capture with the Trinity F90+, we can survey mines using either ground control points or post-processed trajectories and geotagged imagery, giving highly accurate georeferencing, depending on the application. Either way though, the integrated PPK capability has proven crucial for mining progress analysis, as accuracy is so key to overlaying maps of mines to see where changes in their geography have occurred between surveys.” He adds that mining is an extremely safety-conscious market, and numerous aspects of the F90+’s engineering are geared towards this. For instance, a 7 km telemetry link enables its operators to stay well away from the mine and its associated hazards at all times. The F90+’s speed – 33 knots at cruise – and its 90-minute maximum flight time also help provide rapid data capture while the mine is operating, meaning that work schedules onsite are not hampered by the surveys. The F90+ has a 5 kg MTOW and can cover up to 100 km of distance or 700 ha of terrain per flight. It has a 2.394 m wingspan, an operating ceiling of 4500 m, and can tolerate winds of up to 12 m/s during cruise. While it is agnostic regarding photogrammetry software, compatible payloads for mine (and other geospatial) mapping include Sony’s 20.1 MP UMC- R10C and 42.4 MP RX1 RII cameras, the Qube 240 geomatics Lidar (which integrates an Applanix APX15 INS for enhanced accuracy of captured data) and several hyperspectral camera systems from MicaSense. “The RX1 RII is probably the more popular of the two cameras, as it produces higher quality RGB photos for really accurate photogrammetry,” Leake notes. “We also have a new oblique sensor for the F90+, for applications such as open-pit mining where you have very steep pit walls. The oblique payload helps to get accurate, high-resolution imagery of those walls and the other surfaces around it for 3D model analysis.” Oblique mapping Oblique cameras are a relatively new type of payload in the UAV industry compared with, say, EO/IR gimbals and hyperspectral cameras, but the rapid growth in demand from the geospatial sector has spurred a similarly quick spread of this sensor package across the uncrewed world. An oblique payload typically consists of a small number of nadir-pointed cameras and a higher number of obliquely pointed (but also downward- facing) cameras. This configuration enables the photogrammetry and hence 3D modelling of concave geographical features such as mines, river valleys, stadia and craters. Such is the popularity of this capability across various geospatial markets that CHCNAV has introduced the HC-D2, a five-lens oblique camera, as a payload for 3D mapping to go with its P330 Pro. “The P330 Pro is a VTOL-transitioning UAV capable of taking off or hovering for surveys in narrow spaces,” says Francois Martin, vice-general manager at December/January 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology The P330 Pro UAV and HC-D2 oblique camera together can perform oblique mapping of concave assets such as valleys or urban canyons (Courtesy of CHCNAV) Using the data, we can survey mines using either ground control points or post-processed trajectories, giving highly accurate georeferencing