Insitu ScanEagle VTOL & Integrator VTOL | Dossier “When you look at the numbers, say the level of navigation accuracy gained from flying with a FOG over long periods of time, FOGs don’t have such a huge performance advantage that they’re vital to the missions we fly,” Todorov says. “What’s more interesting to our users are parameters like the geolocation estimate accuracy of the payload sensor’s point-of-interest or the target location error. Our level of drift would not suddenly become commensurately better with a FOG or RLG to the point that we would be happy to fly and navigate on inertial data alone. A combined approach of GNSS, IMU and multiple other sources for PNT that we can fuse, and evaluate against each other, is the best solution.” A question of autopilots The autopilot systems integrating these navigation components differ considerably between the two UAVs. On the ScanEagle, autonomy is enshrined within an autopilot proprietary to and originating within Insitu. “We’ve integrated external sensors such as accelerometers, gyros, pitot static systems and other sensors into that over the years,” Hartley says. “Options were limited 20 years ago, particularly in terms of the SWaP that Insitu’s founders wanted their autopilot to conform to, so they decided to make one on their own, and they were successful. A lot of the original ScanEagle autopilot code and logic was written by Dr Tad McGeer [founder of Insitu Group, and now founder and president of Aerovel] himself.” The Integrator’s autonomous functions, by contrast, are powered by the Collins Aerospace Athena autopilot. “It is generally associated with very large and high-end UAVs. When you run the Athena software, combined with the standard-issue hardware, and an INS [inertial navigation system] that typically comes with it, those provide a very comprehensive flight-control systems network,” Todorov says. “Collins has a really sophisticated test suite, including Monte Carlo simulations that they run against all of Athena’s Both UAVs’ structures have been largely unchanged over the years, aside from minor tweaks in structural strength, vibration damping and internal packaging Download the whitepaper for free! How UAV/AAM leaders can challenge the sky without reinventing the wheel. Aviation experts reveal what makes the ideal key component supplier. volz-servos.com VOLZ Servos Reliability for progress
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