2.0 connector, an I2C and several GPIOs. All the ports for sensor inputs are at the opposite end from those for command signals, preventing avionics network designers from tangling the cabling for the flight controllers and sensors. Also, one M.2 NVME interface is available for data storage. Overall, the FLYC-300 measures 124 x 123 x 32 mm and consumes 15 W in typical operation over a 12-60 V DC input. It can safely operate between -25 and +70 oC. “We also have designed a space for installing 4G or 5G modules, so wireless and cloud connectivity is also possible with this system,” Ni added. “And for UAV manufacturers who find the 300 g weight still too much, we can remove the enclosure and the weight drops by about half.” Strix Drones exhibited its range of UAV-agnostic docking, charging and housing stations, which currently consists of four models: the Strix 1100, 1600, 2100 and Strix Drone Drop. “The Strix 2100 is our largest system, and the only docking station on the market big enough to host a fixed-wing eVTOL UAV,” said Niv Aharoni. “One of our patented technologies in this system enables us to rotate the nose of the UAV to face the wind for takeoff. Weather sensors are mounted and connected to the docking station, and a disc on the landing pad is rotated by our control computer based on the data from those sensors.” When the 2100 is closed, its length is 15 ft (4.5 m), and its width is 7 ft. When its doors are opened, the clear area available for landing a UAV or eVTOL is 6.5 sq ft. After the UAV lands, the system closes and protects it from the weather. “It’s ideal for any UAV measuring within 7 sq ft from rotor tip to rotor tip,” Aharoni added. “The Strix 1600 is more for midsized UAVs like the DJI M300, while the 1100 is more for UAVs less than 3 ft in size, like the Parrot Anafi.” Astrium unveiled its solar-powered fixed-wing UAV platform, the Sunlink XD (SLXD), which has a 20 ft wingspan coated in a thin-film solar cell patented by Sunlight Aerospace, a company owned and operated by one of Astrium’s founders. “They’ve been developing several versions of this UAV, and it’s been handed over to Astrium to market, operate, flight-test, modify and improve it,” said Ryan Osteroos. “We’ve been pushing it recently for more range, flight time, data and maturity. “It has the ability to fly at 60,00065,000 ft and perform long-endurance missions, particularly near the equator where there’s more sunlight. It was originally designed to act as a cell network comms relay in critical areas, as a 85 Uncrewed Systems Technology | October/November 2023 Neousys Technology’s FLYC-300 Strix Drones’ UAV ground docking stations
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