Read all back issues online www.ust-media.com UST 57 : AUG/SEPT 2024 UK £15, USA $30, EUROPE €22 Surveying the skies Painting a picture of airspace with UTM Hitting the right frequency Transponders on track for safer aviation Poetry in motion Schiebel’s S-100 balances capability, flexibility & performance
Electric power for UAVs More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data power_210x297mm.indd 1 12/10/22 8:41 AM More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data power_210x297mm.indd 1 12/10/22 8:41 AM More power. More products. Acutronic designs, builds and delivers a full range of UAV power systems. • Alternators • Starter-alternators • Voltage regulators • Starters The power of experience. With decades of engineering and manufacturing experience, Acutronic builds power systems trusted by customers globally for their high power density and efficient design. Proudly made in the U.S.A. We solve your power systems integration challenges. acutronic.com Scan to view technical data po
3 August/September 2024 | Contents Uncrewed Systems Technology | August/September 2024 20 24 86 04 Intro Evolution is the name of the game when it comes to eVTOL air taxis, airspace management, transponders and UTM systems 06 Platform one: Mission-critical info A sensor that detects its environment in real-time 3D, scalable chips for self-driving cars, superalloys developed by NASA that are opening up new opportunities for UAV and space design, a sensor with infrared imaging for remote crop monitoring, high-speed neuromorphic vision for robots, a lightweight singlephoton airborne laser and enhancing underwater images with AI 20 In conversation: Andy Lacher NASA’s chief technologist for future airspace ops discusses the challenges of today’s airspace operations, which are human-centric and reliant on voice communications 24 Dossier: Schiebel Camcopter In late spring, the 523rd unit of the S-100, the product of 30 years of perfecting its design, left the testing line 40 Technology focus: UTM Addressing the difficulties of operating UAVs beyond visual line of sight using sense-and-avoid systems and broader UTM links 50 Digest: Bedrock Ocean AUV On a mission to provide high-quality oceanological data for its customers, this company decided to design and build its very own fleet of underwater vehicles to gather it 60 Show report: Xponential Defence Defence giants from around the world assembled in San Diego to showcase the best uncrewed military tech and systems around 68 Dossier: Avadi Engines A modern take on sleeve-valve engines aims to be the ideal choice for modern UAVs, with fuel and maintenance savings 78 Insight: UAVs Spotlighting the new breeds of uncrewed vehicles coming to the fore, from miniature photographers to gargantuan aircraft 86 Product focus: Transponders How these information-transmitting devices are being optimised for new regulations and UAVs 96 In operation: Swiss-Mile UGV How the founders made a robot able to walk, stand, grab and roll, fulfilling various on-site roles from observation to security 102 Show report: Xponential part 2 In the second half of our report on the world’s biggest show for autonomous systems, we take a look at some of the innovations and technologies setting the industry buzzing 114 PS: AI fighters Various types of AI are being applied to air combat systems and insects are proving a unique inspiration for swarm intelligence 50 96
ELECTRIC, HYBRID & INTERNAL COMBUSTION for PERFORMANCE ISSUE 153 JUNE/JULY 2024 Harnessing CI power Focus on diesel components 206 mph eco motorcycle True Cousins’ drag bike Revival of the racecar V4 Ligier Storm V4 by SuperHP www.highpowermedia.com UK £15, US/CN $25, EUROPE €22 THE COMMUNICATIONS HUB OF THE ELECTRIFIED POWERTRAIN Read all back issues and exclusive online-only content at www.emobility-engineering.com ISSUE 026 | JULY/AUGUST 2024 UK £15 USA $30 EUROPE €22 Reinventing the 3 Wheeler Driving Morgan’s electric future High voltage Masters of motors Leading the charge for heavy-duty apps Engineering the perfect machine 4 August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Intro | August/September 2024 One thing you can rely on with technology is that it will evolve. One of those evolutions is happening right now with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, which are moving from being simple piloting systems to fully autonomous aircraft. This is having an impact on the development of airspace management systems. We chart the progress of this technology in our UAV (page 78) and Xponential (page 102) features. Read about the latest lightweight engines from Avadi on page 68 and lightweight alloys in Platform One on page 6. Our interview with Andrew Lacher of NASA and Boeing on the evolution of uncrewed aircraft pulls this together on page 20. With transponder technology key to airspace management, and UAV and eVTOL platforms, we cover the latest innovations and offerings on page 86. The advancement of air traffic management systems to handle hundreds, if not thousands, of UAVs is detailed on page 40, and this technology will form an essential part of the rollout of autonomous eVTOL air taxis in the near future. Nick Flaherty | Technology Editor Up, up and away Read all back issues online www.ust-media.com UST 57 : AUG/SEPT 2024 UK £15, USA $30, EUROPE €22 Surveying the skies Painting a picture of airspace with UTM Hitting the right frequency Transponders on track for safer aviation Poetry in motion Schiebel’s S-100 balances capability, flexibility & performance Editorial Director Ian Bamsey Deputy Editor Rory Jackson Technology Editor Nick Flaherty Production Editor Vickie Johnstone Contributor Peter Donaldson Technical Consultants Paul Weighell Ian Williams-Wynn Dr Donough Wilson Prof James Scanlan Dr David Barrett Design Andrew Metcalfe [email protected] UST Ad Sales Please direct all enquiries to John Moss [email protected] Subscriptions Frankie Robins [email protected] Publishing Director Simon Moss [email protected] General Manager Chris Perry 2025 media pack now ‘live’ The medium Our content is accessible online and in print, enabling a global network of engineers to read it however and whenever they choose. 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Nor can responsibility be accepted for the content of any advertisement. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available from High Power Media at the address above or directly from our website. Overseas copies are sent via air mail. 1 year subscription – 15% discount: UK – £75; Europe – £90 USA – £93.75; ROW – £97.50 2 year subscription – 25% discount: UK – £135; Europe – £162 USA – £168.75; ROW – £175.50 Make cheques payable to High Power Media. Visa, Mastercard, Amex and UK Maestro accepted. Quote card number and expiry date (also issue/start date for Maestro) ALSO FROM HPM 2025 UK£ media kit Our content is accessible online and in print, enabling a global network of engineers to read it however and whenever they choose. Our content is 100% original, peer reviewed and exclusively written for uncrewed engineers. Our content, your solutions – side by side. Advertise your components or service at the point at which engineers are open to discovering them. Read all back issues online www.ust-media.com UST 56 : JUNE/JULY 2024 UK £15, USA $30, EUROPE €22 Big bytes Secure centralised computing engines Golden receivers Antennas for comms and mission success Dynamic duo How Insitu’s ScanEagle and Integrator are staying on top in the age of VTOL The medium The message The means
UXV Technologies The Brand New G2NAV The G2NAV is a universal and dynamic ground control station for all types of robotics and unmanned systems. It is radio-agnostic and modular, offering unmatched customizability, control, and high mobility, even in the most rugged environments. www.uxvtechnologies.com
6 August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Mission-critical info for uncrewed systems professionals Platform one A 3D ultrasound sensor is being used to improve the safety of driverless vehicles, writes Nick Flaherty. Benedex Robotics and Cranfield University are using a 3D ultrasound sensor evaluation kit from Calyo in Bristol, UK, to develop a functional safety platform. The DRIVEN BY SOUND project led by Calyo allows autonomous vehicles to detect their surroundings in 3D in real time. The sensors have been optimised for 15 m near-range detection of obstacles. The Pulse 3D evaluation is a softwaredefined array of micromachined MEMS ultrasound transducers in a 60 x 43 x 15 mm module. It has one transmitter and the reflected waves come back into the receiver array. The starter kit has 32 channels and gives a field of view (FoV) of up to 180o, depending on the distance. “The whole sensor is made of off-theshelf components. The innovation is the driver electronics and the software with our own software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to customise the sensor and the outputs,” said Mihai Caleap, CEO of Calyo. “I think of it as similar to a Lidar as the output is a 3D point cloud. The starter kit provides a complete package of hardware and software, and plugs into a laptop, electronic control unit or Nvidia Jetson processor module. We have a sensor engine with a C++ API with a pre-compiled ROS2 node.” The SDK includes wrappers for other programming environments such as Python and Matlab, and it provides direct access to the raw ultrasound data. The platform provides a vital redundancy mechanism, enabling vehicles to perform minimum risk manoeuvres and safely stop in the event of a fault or severe road conditions, including darkness. “The technology will be applicable across vehicle platforms, including offroad industrial applications,” said Caleap. “Four of our 3D sensors can provide full coverage around the vehicle, cutting the number of sensors by at least half.” System developers will have their own electronic controllers or gateway devices, so the evaluation board allows the project to show how the 3D ultrasound can be used for safety applications. The project is also working on a gateway module with Benedex for a functional safety module with a suite of sensors that could be used by vehicle developers, particularly for offroad autonomous vehicles. “By integrating this additional layer of functional safety we are introducing innovation that’s establishing the foundation for accessible, safe and secure autonomous mobility,” said Snir Benedek, CEO of Benedex Robotics. The project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025. Sensors Sensor detects surroundings in real-time 3D 3D ultrasound for autonomous vehicles (Image courtesy of Cranfield University)
7 Platform one Uncrewed Systems Technology | August/September 2024 Scalable chip architectures for self-driving cars will require new, automated design tools, writes Nick Flaherty, French research lab CEA-Leti has shown an architecture that scales from basic cars to self-driving vehicles. However, this requires a new generation of automated tools for design exploration. “Two years ago, we started a feasibility study with a big automotive OEM to define and specify the high-level architecture of E/E architectures, and at that time there were only two solutions: a softwaredefined vehicle (SDV) based on a GPU, and a discrete solution,” said Denis Dutoit, programme manager for advanced computing and chiplets at CEA-Leti. The study came up with an architecture with separate small chips, or chiplets, for functions such as the I/O, a sensor fusion chiplet to handle four cameras, a high-end sensor chiplet for multiple cameras, radar and Lidar, and a high-performance central processor, or compute chiplet, for the AI and path planning. This leads to nine system options, with different chiplets being combined on a substrate, which requires new tools to explore the design space, Dutoit said. “For the next generation of E/E, the systems are grouped by physical location with central compute in a zonal architecture, but this has challenges with scalability. We have seen the gap between low end and high end is 100 TOPS to 1000 TOPS in compute, and 100 Gbit/s to 1000 Gbit/s in memory bandwidth, and then there is the issue of cost,” he said. Dutoit explained: “We started with the definition of the low-end car, starting with an IO chiplet. This is a monolithic die that is also able to handle minimal processing for low-end applications as a fusion chip that can handle cameras and displays. We have defined a computing extension for this chiplet and this is software-defined. “For ADAS, the amount of computing is so huge you need a specific accelerator, so we defined an ADAS chiplet to handle more cameras and more sensors. Now we want to scale to the high end for infotainment with a new IO chiplet and a new compute chiplet. “Instead of designing nine system-ona-chip devices, we have defined three chiplets for five architectures for each segment with four packaging options – two for standalone, low-cost platforms, [and] I/O + Compute and quad ADAS.” Leti previously developed virtual prototypes with its own simulator, VPSim for benchmarking, which has a good trade-off between speed and accuracy, but it is not good enough for the chiplets, Dutoit said. “We are designing a new development flow with automated exploration of the design space, so that from just the parameters with simulation we can propose candidates and extract key performance indicators, and generate binaries to preform the benchmarks.” This McPAT simulator is designed to be used with multicore power and area simulation. Chips Savouring design flexibility with scalable chiplets Chiplet options for autonomous vehicles (Image courtesy of CEA-Leti)
8 A new generation of superalloys is opening up new opportunities for UAV and space system design with additive manufacturing, writes Nick Flaherty. US space agency NASA is licensing a 3D-printable superalloy that can handle extreme temperatures to four US companies. At the same time, researchers at Purdue University have developed a superalloy of aluminium. The GRX-810 alloy developed by NASA has been used for liquid rocket engine injectors, combustors, turbines and hotsection components capable of enduring temperatures in excess of 1100 C. The laser 3D-printing process fuses metals together, layer by layer. Nanoparticles containing oxygen atoms spread throughout the alloy enhance its strength. Compared to other nickel-base alloys, GRX-810 can endure higher temperatures and stress, and it can last up to 2,500 times longer. It is also nearly four times better at flexing before breaking and twice as resistant to oxidation damage. “GRX-810 represents a new alloy design space and manufacturing technique that was impossible a few years ago,” said Dr. Tim Smith, materials researcher at NASA’s Glenn Research Centre, which developed the superalloy. In the USA, this has been licensed to Carpenter Technology of Reading in Pennsylvania, Elementum 3D of Erie in Colorado, Linde Advanced Material Technologies of Indianapolis and Powder Alloy of Loveland in Ohio. The engineers at Purdue University created a patent-pending process to develop ultra-high-strength aluminium alloys combining cobalt, iron, nickel and titanium using nanoscale, laminated, deformable intermetallics. These transition metals have traditionally been avoided in the manufacture of aluminium alloys. Intermetallics have crystal structures with low symmetry and are known to be brittle at room temperature, but this method forms the transitional metal elements into colonies of nanoscale, intermetallic lamellae that aggregate into fine rosettes. These nanolaminated rosettes can largely suppress the brittle nature of the intermetallics. “Our work shows that the proper introduction of heterogenous microstructures and nanoscale medium-entropy intermetallics offers an alternative solution to designing ultra-strong, deformable aluminium alloys via additive manufacturing,” said Prof Xinghang Zhang at Purdue. “These alloys improve upon traditional ones that are either ultrastrong or highly deformable, but not both.” Researcher Anyu Shang said: “Most commercially available, high-strength aluminium alloys cannot be used in additive manufacturing. They are highly susceptible to hot cracking, which creates defects that could lead to the deterioration of a metal alloy.” “The highest strength that these alloys achieve is in the range of 300500 megapascals, which is much lower than what steels can achieve, typically 600-1,000 megapascals,” said Prof Haiyan Wang. “There has been limited success in producing high-strength aluminium alloys that also display beneficial, large, plastic deformability.” “The heterogeneous microstructures contain hard, nanoscale intermetallics and a coarse-grain aluminium matrix, which induces significant back stress that can improve the work hardening ability of metallic materials. “Additive manufacturing using a laser can enable rapid melting and quenching, and thus introduce nanoscale intermetallics and their nanolaminates,” she added. During tests, the alloys showed a combination of prominent plastic deformability and high strength over 900 megapascals. The micropillar tests displayed significant back stress in all regions, and certain regions had flow stresses exceeding a gigapascal. Materials 3D-printable superalloy survives extreme temperatures Platform one August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology A superalloy for space applications (Image courtesy of NASA)
2014 Pixhawk2 2015 Cube Black Cube Green 2016 Cube Yellow 2018 Cube Purple 2017 Cube Orange 2019 2020 Cube Gold Cube Orange+ 2021 Cube Blue 2022 Cube Red 2023 CubeNode Red CubeNode Yellow CubeNode Green CubeNode Black CubeNode Orange CubeNode .... In the future .... THE CUBE IS TURNING 10!! The backbone of the UxV industry, "The Cube" was born in the new year of 2013/2014.... With an interface standard that allows you to put even the latest cube into your very first Cube or Pixhawk2 drone. With Hundreds of thousands of Cubes in the community, the cube has saved lives, delivered critical medicine, delivered human organs, kept our friends safe, inspected countless systems which kept humans away from danger. From the very first sketches at the end of 2013, to saving lives in 2024, CubePilot has been there enabling the industry to grow.
10 A compact, lightweight sensor system with infrared imaging can be fitted easily to a UAV for remote crop monitoring, writes Nick Flaherty. The metasurface, flat-optics technology has the potential to replace traditional, optical lens applications for environmental sensing. The key is that the sensor system can switch rapidly between edge detection and extracting detailed infrared information without the need for creating large volumes of data and using external processors. The prototype sensor system was developed by engineers at the City University of New York (CUNY), University of Melbourne, RMIT University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS). The sensor uses a filter that has a thin layer of vanadium dioxide, a phase-change material that can switch between edge detection and detailed infrared imaging. This passive edge-detection metasurface operates in the nearinfrared regime, and the response can be modified by temperature variations smaller than 10C around a phase-change transition temperature of 65C, which is compatible with a mainstream CMOS manufacturing process. This reconfigurability is achieved through the insulator-to-metal phase transition of a thin layer of vanadium dioxide, which strongly alters the metasurface response to filter the light. It also uses a simple geometry that is compatible with large-scale manufacturing. “Materials such as vanadium dioxide add a fantastic tuning capability to render devices smart,” said chief investigator using metasurfaces, most of the devices demonstrated so far are static. Their functionality is fixed in time and cannot be dynamically altered or controlled,” said Dr Michele Cotrufo, a researcher at CUNY. “The ability to dynamically reconfigure processing operations is key for metasurfaces to be able to compete with digital image-processing systems. This is what we have developed.” The sensor also operates at temperatures compatible with standard manufacturing techniques, making it well placed to integrate with commercially available systems and thus move from research to real-world use. Crop monitoring Sensor switches from edge detection to infrared fast Prof Madhu Bhaskaran at RMIT in Melbourne. “When the temperature of the filter is changed, the vanadium dioxide transforms from an insulating state to a metallic one, which is how the processed image shifts from a filtered outline to an unfiltered, infrared image. “These materials could go a long way in flat-optics devices that can replace technologies with traditional lenses for environmental sensing applications, making them ideal for use in UAVs and satellites, which require low size, weight and power capacity,” he added. “While a few recent demonstrations have achieved analogue edge detection August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology A lightweight metasurface IR sensor (Image courtesy of CUNY)
T-motor Jiangxi-Xintuo Enterprise Co Ltd T-MOTOR ® THE SAFER PROPULSION SYSTEM A SERIES MODULAR PROPULSION Dual Inputs: PWM/CAN Thrust Up To: 57kg A next level with an upgraded cooling configuration WWW.TMOTOR.COM Platform one Researchers in the US have developed a high-speed, neuromorphic vision sensor for robotic applications, writes Nick Flaherty. A team led by University of Maryland computer scientists developed the Artificial Microsaccade-Enhanced Event Camera (AMI-EV) that tracks events in an image, even at high speeds. “Event cameras are a relatively new technology, better at tracking moving objects than traditional cameras, but today’s event cameras struggle to capture sharp, blur-free images when there is a lot of motion involved,” said researcher Botao He. “It’s a big problem because robots and many other technologies, such as self-driving cars, rely on accurate and timely images to react correctly to a changing environment.” Microsaccades are small, quick eye movements that involuntarily occur when a person tries to focus. The human eye can maintain focus on an object and its visual textures accurately over time. “We figured that just like how our eyes need those tiny movements to stay focused, a camera could use a similar principle to capture clear, accurate images without motion-caused blurring,” he said. The team replicated microsaccades by inserting a rotating prism inside the AMI-EV to redirect light beams captured by the lens. The continuous rotation of the prism simulated the movements naturally occurring within a human eye, allowing the camera to stabilise the textures of a recorded object just as a human would. The team then developed software to compensate for the prism’s movement within the AMI-EV to consolidate stable images from the shifting lights. “When you’re working with robots, replace the eyes with a camera and the brain with a computer. Better cameras mean better perception and reactions for robots,” said Prof Yiannis Aloimonos, director of the Computer Vision Laboratory at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). Event-driven cameras have advantages over classical vision systems, including better performance in extreme lighting, low latency and low power consumption. In testing, AMI-EV was able to capture and display movement accurately in a variety of contexts, including rapidly moving shape identification. AMI-EV could capture motion in tens of thousands of frames per second, outperforming most typical commercial cameras. Robotic applications Neuromorphic vision tracks images at high speed WWW.TMOTOR.COM A SERIES MODULAR PROPULSION A next level with an upgraded cooling connguration Upgraded cooling channels temperature can be reduced by about 25% WWW.TMOTOR.COM UAV A SERIES MODULAR PROPULSION A next level with an upgraded cooling connguration A SERIES MODULAR PROPULSION Dual Inputs: PWM/CAN Thrust Up To: 57kg A next level with an upgraded cooling connguration
12 Platform one Researchers in China have developed a compact, lightweight single-photon airborne Lidar system, which can acquire high-resolution 3D images with a low-power laser, writes Nick Flaherty. The system, developed at the University of Science and Technology at Hefei in China, could make singlephoton Lidar practical for air and space applications such as environmental monitoring, 3D terrain mapping and object identification. Single-photon Lidar uses detection techniques to measure the time it takes laser pulses to travel to objects and back. It is particularly useful for airborne applications because it enables highly accurate 3D mapping of terrain and objects even in challenging environments such as dense vegetation or urban areas. “Using single-photon Lidar technology on resource-limited UAVs or satellites requires shrinking the entire system and reducing its energy consumption,” said researcher Feihu Xu. “This employs the lowest laser power and the smallest optical aperture, while still maintaining good performance in terms of detection range and imaging resolution.” The airborne single-photon Lidar system works by sending light pulses from a laser towards the ground. These pulses bounce off objects and are then captured by very sensitive detectors called single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays. These detectors provide enhanced sensitivity to single photons, enabling more efficient detection of the reflected laser pulses so that a lowerpower laser can be used. To reduce the overall system size, the researchers used small telescopes with an optical aperture of 47 mm as the receiving optics. Measuring the time of flight of the returned single photons makes it away with default settings. Scanning the image at a sub-pixel level and using a 3D deconvolution algorithm enabled a resolution of 6 cm from the same distance away. The investigators also conducted daytime experiments with the system aboard a small airplane over several weeks in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, China. These experiments successfully revealed detailed features of various landforms and objects, confirming the functionality and reliability of the system in real-world scenarios. The team is now working to enhance the performance and integration of the system, with the long-term goal of installing it on a spaceborne platform such as a small satellite. Lidar Single-photon Lidar maps challenging terrain possible to calculate how long it takes for light to travel to the ground and back. The detailed 3D images of the terrain can then be reconstructed using computational imaging algorithms. “A key part of the new system is the special scanning mirrors that perform continuous fine scanning, capturing subpixel information of the ground targets,” said Xu. “Also, a new photon-efficient computational algorithm extracts this sub-pixel information from a small number of raw photon detections, enabling the reconstruction of super-resolution 3D images despite the challenges posed by weak signals and strong solar noise.” A pre-flight ground test showed the system was able to perform Lidar imaging with a resolution of 15 cm from 1.5 km August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Single photon mapping from a UAV (Image courtesy of the Hefei University of Science and Technology)
Researchers in China have developed an AI technique to improve the quality of underwater image sensors, writes Nick Flaherty. The team at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences created the Learnable Fullfrequency Transformer Dual Generative Adversarial Network (LFT-DGAN) to address the issue of underwater image-quality degradation. This can be caused by variations in colour, low contrast and signal noise from the changing density of the water. Enhancement technology aims to optimise the quality of underwater images and meet the diverse needs of marine scientific research, underwater robots and object recognition. A reversible convolution image decomposition technique separates underwater picture information into low-, medium-, and high-frequency domains, enabling more thorough feature extraction. These are separated out into image channels, and the spatial similarity of the pictures is used to construct a learnable, full-frequency, domain-transformer network. This transformer facilitates interaction between different branches of information, enhancing overall image-processing capabilities. A dual-domain discriminator is capable of learning the spatial and frequency domain characteristics of underwater images. Here, the adversarial neural networks pit two different types of AI network against each other to produce the best output. The effectiveness of the resulting dual-generative adversarial neural-network model of the full-frequency transformer was verified by comparing multiple underwater image experimental data. With the help of this model, researchers used image decomposition technology with reversible convolution for the first time to accurately separate the different frequency features of the image. Artificial intelligence Enhancing underwater photography with AI Dual adversarial neural networks improve the quality of underwater images (Image courtesy of Hefei Institutes of Physical Science) www.tronics.tdk.com Tactical grade. Low SWaP. Digital. © Adobe Stock MEMS inertial sensors for land, sea, and air.
14 Platform one Intergalactic in Utah has developed a curved heat exchanger that can be used to cool engines more efficiently, writes Nick Flaherty. The conformal thermal management system uses the patented, Boreas3 microtube heat exchangers developed by Intergalactic. The company has completed validation of the initial technical and manufacturing concepts, and is now working with industry partners to apply the conformal heat exchanger designs to aircraft and engine specifications. The curved designs rely on Intergalactic’s patented, laser-welded, microtube heat exchangers. Matching heat exchangers to existing, complex surfaces drastically increases optimisation of the spatial volume and thermal exchange efficiency in locations that are difficult to access or unusable. efficient than other systems and can use any type of coolant. “There is a large and growing demand for curved heat exchangers, especially those that can offer substantial size and weight savings compared to the legacy plate-fin heat exchanger technology,” said Kaiser. “Our patented approach to laserwelded microtube heat exchangers has already shown tremendous advantages over the ageing plate-fin standard, which increasingly faces obsolescence in aerospace. We’re excited to take the next step by applying our proven technology to curved designs.” Intergalactic was the first company to fully flight-qualify a microtube heat exchanger on a major military platform in the summer of 2023, having been granted US Patent 11,519,670 for its proprietary, laser-welded, microtube heat exchangers for aviation and space in late 2022. Thermal management Curved heat exchanger opens new world of cooling “Most of the time, designing heat exchangers for curved spaces is literally like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole,” said Nick Kaiser, chief technology officer at Intergalactic. “If you’re building an aircraft engine, the nacelles are going to be cylindrical in shape, which presents a basic geometry problem for installing critical heat exchangers. “By developing the technology and manufacturing processes to apply a curved design to our laser-welded microtube heat exchangers, we’re opening a new world of efficient cooling options for airframers and engine makers,” he added. The curved design also removes the need for blocker plates to close gaps between rectangular heat exchangers and rounded surfaces, and it helps to minimise weight. Intergalactic claims the heat exchanger is three times more August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology A curved heat exchanger for UAV engines (Image courtesy of Intergalactic)
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16 Dr Donough Wilson Dr Wilson is innovation lead at aviation, defence, and homeland security innovation consultants, VIVID/ futureVision. His defence innovations include the cockpit vision system that protects military aircrew from asymmetric high-energy laser attack. He was first to propose the automatic tracking and satellite download of airliner black box and cockpit voice recorder data in the event of an airliner’s unplanned excursion from its assigned flight level or track. For his ‘outstanding and practical contribution to the safer operation of aircraft’ he was awarded The Sir James Martin Award 2018/19, by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. Paul Weighell Paul has been involved with electronics, computer design and programming since 1966. He has worked in the realtime and failsafe data acquisition and automation industry using mainframes, minis, micros and cloud-based hardware on applications as diverse as defence, Siberian gas pipeline control, UK nuclear power, robotics, the Thames Barrier, Formula One and automated financial trading systems. Ian Williams-Wynn Ian has been involved with uncrewed and autonomous systems for more than 20 years. He started his career in the military, working with early prototype uncrewed systems and exploiting imagery from a range of systems from global suppliers. He has also been involved in ground-breaking research including novel power and propulsion systems, sensor technologies, communications, avionics and physical platforms. His experience covers a broad spectrum of domains from space, air, maritime and ground, and in both defence and civil applications including, more recently, connected autonomous cars. Professor James Scanlan Professor Scanlan is the director of the Strategic Research Centre in Autonomous Systems at the University of Southampton, in the UK. He also co-directs the Rolls-Royce University Technical Centre in design at Southampton. He has an interest in design research, and in particular how complex systems (especially aerospace systems) can be optimised. More recently, he established a group at Southampton that undertakes research into uncrewed aircraft systems. He produced the world’s first ‘printed aircraft’, the SULSA, which was flown by the Royal Navy in the Antarctic in 2016. He also led the team that developed the ULTRA platform, the largest UK commercial UAV, which has flown BVLOS extensively in the UK. He is a qualified full-size aircraft pilot and also has UAV flight qualifications. Dr David Barrett Dr David Barrett’s career includes senior positions with companies such as iRobot and Walt Disney Imagineering. He has also held posts with research institutions including the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, MIT and Olin College, where he is now Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, and Principal Investigator for the Olin Intelligent Vehicle Laboratory. He also serves in an advisory capacity on the boards of several robotics companies. Uncrewed Systems Technology’s consultants Researchers have developed a technique for UAVs to pick up large objects using knotted cables rather than robotic arms, writes Nick Flaherty. The team at Lehigh University in the US is developing algorithms that will allow UAVs to overcome friction and tie a knot in a cable without getting entangled. Traditional aerial systems have centred on robotic arms for autonomous grasping, which are heavy and hard to fly with. Cables benefit from being lightweight and flexible, allowing versatile manipulation. They can also conform to objects of various shapes and sizes, increasing the range of tasks that an aerial robot can perform. Using cables also reduces the overall weight of the system, resulting in a longer flight duration. “The goal would be to get to a point where people don’t have to touch the robot at all,” said David Saldaña, assistant professor of computer science & engineering at Lehigh. “We could just tell the robot to pick up that box of medicine and deliver it. We can’t use traditional reinforcement-learning algorithms for this. We have to make our own because they have to learn fast since robots in the air need to operate fast.” “We have a new concept called a polygonal hitch,” explained Saldaña. “Pairs of robots can make one side of the polygon and are in charge of that side only. The polygon can be scaled up or down, depending on the size of the object you’re moving.” Topology-based planning algorithms will be developed to form the hitches, providing the specific movements required for the UAV. The aim is to create a library of knots to streamline the transportation process, which can be adjusted to requirements. The research is aimed at improving the use of UAVs in applications such as construction, logistics and disaster management. Algorithms Enabling robotic arms to tie knots in cables August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Using knotted cables to lift payloads (Image courtesy of Lehigh University)
Platform one DZYNE Technologies in the US is converting a sports glider into a low altitude, low-cost UAV, writes Nick Flaherty. DZYNE is working with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Centre for Rapid Innovation (CRI) on the Uncrewed Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA), which has an endurance of over 80 hours while carrying 200 kg of payload. The conversion takes a novel approach to achieve long endurance large optics or high-power RF to maintain effectiveness. ULTRA uses an operator-friendly command-and-control system that allows for point-and-click operations in the ground station. Full, global operations are possible through satellite-based command and control links that also provide a data feed to the operators in real time. DZYNE previously worked on the Long Endurance Aircraft Program (LEAP), which produced an autonomous aircraft that was deployed in 2016 and could fly for up to 40 hours. Aircraft Sports glider becomes hardened military air vehicle and acquisition cost objectives by repurposing a commercial sport glider and converting it into a military, hardened, uncrewed air vehicle with a propeller engine and fuel tank. It uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) UAS technology, such as GPS satellite navigation and autopilot, as well as existing manufacturing and supply channels and limited custom avionics to keep the cost down. The UAV can use lower-cost EO/IR and RF sensors as it operates at lower altitudes, which do not require The Class of 2024 Access the directory online, or pick up a printed copy at leading uncrewed related tradeshows across the globe www.ust-media.com/ust-magazine/Co24 6 Class of 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Advanced Navigation Advanced Navigation is a world leader in AI-based robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation’s mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics. Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world’s largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Categories • Navigation System • IMUs, Gyros & Accelerometers • UUVs • Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Sonar/Acoustic Systems Address Level 12, 255 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Website www.advancednavigation.com Telephone +61 2 9099 3800 Email [email protected] More info: Avionics & electronics 37 Uncrewed Systems Technology | Class of 2024 Development inputs COVE COVE is where marine technology leaders develop solutions for a better and sustainable world. On the water and around the world, COVE propels the ocean economy. COVE is where ideas become solutions, technologies become ventures, and opportunities become careers. We connect people, ideas, resources and assets to propel solutions and sustainable growth for Canada’s ocean sector. A 13-acre waterfront facility in Canada’s deepest harbour provides the best space in the world to turn ideas into commercial solutions. Ocean technology companies, post-secondary researchers, and marine-based service businesses come to the COVE facility for programming and short- and long-term tenancies. We provide: • 550,000 sq ft of protected wharf frontage in Halifax Harbour along the Atlantic Ocean • 49 ft depth at wharf face • 2,850 feet of docks & 2 finger piers • 26,000 sq ft of office & workshop space • 6,500 square feet of shop and lab space • Approximately 60 ocean tech companies on-site Categories • Financial support • Business Development Services • On-shore and Off-shore Infrastructure • Marine Terminal and Facility Address 27 Parker St., Dartmouth Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4T5 Website www.coveocean.com Telephone +1 902 334 2683 Email [email protected] More info: 43 Uncrewed Systems Technology | Class of 2024 Tekever TEKEVER’s UAS Systems fits every mission and are futureproofed. Through the ability to upgrade individual components, it’s possible to improve the total system without a complete redesign. It’s not about technology, it’s about your mission. TEKEVER UAS intelligence is fully proven and has been crucial in the most demanding scenarios. TEKEVER systems are easy to assemble and operate by design. We can provide them as a service, or give our customers full autonomy on their operation and maintenance through intensive training courses. TEKEVER UAS are built around intelligence. Combining complex systems, as drones that fly 20 hours, with satellite communication, powerful sensors, a cross-platform Ground Control Station and an AI/ML-powered data-centre to assure the right person gets the right information at the right moment. Categories • UAVs Address Heden Rossio Largo do Duque de Cadaval, 17 Fracção I, 1200160, Lisboa, Portugal Website www.tekever.com Telephone +351 21 330 4300 Email [email protected] More info: Platforms 57 Uncrewed Systems Technology | Class of 2024 maxon international ltd. maxon is the worldwide leading provider of high-precision drive systems. Our micromotors move everything that has to be rotated with high precision and reliability. At maxon, we develop and build electric drives that pack some real power. Our DC motors are leading the industry worldwide. They are used wherever the requirements are high and engineers cannot afford compromises. From the ocean floor to Mars! They are installed in insulin pumps and surgical power tools. You can find them in humanoid robots and in high-precision industrial applications, in tattoo machines, passenger aircraft, camera lenses, race cars, aquatic systems and cardiac pumps. For more than 60 years, we have focused on customer-specific solutions, quality, and innovation. Categories • Electric Motors • Motor Controllers • Propellers • Advanced Materials • Connectors • Electric Motors • Engines Address Brünigstrasse 2206072, Sachseln, Switzerland Website www.maxongroup.com Telephone +41 (41) 666 15 00 Email [email protected] More info: Powertrain 81 Uncrewed Systems Technology | Class of 2024 Futaba Corporation of America Futaba, a world leading manufacturer of radio control and servo products for over six decades, continues to enhance and adapt its product portfolio to meet the evolving demands of the diverse markets it serves. Futaba produces a wide variety of ruggedized servo actuators with varying specifications to meet many challenging applications operating in challenging environments. Wireless RF transmitter/ receiver systems are fully designed and engineered in-house, leveraging Futaba’s years of RF development experience to provide the most secure and reliable wireless communication link available. To further meet our customers’ demands, Futaba can develop semi-custom products from existing OTS parts and fully customized parts from scratch. With the introduction of the FMT05 Ground Control Station, integrating Panasonic’s Toughbook platform, Futaba provides next-level control sophistication and ruggedness for UAV applications. Contact Futaba to discuss all of your company’s radio control and actuator needs. Categories • Servo Actuators • Ground Control Stations • Radio Links & Telemetry Address 5401 Trillium Blvd, Suite A225 Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 Website www.futabairc.com Telephone +1 815 701 3650 Email [email protected] More info: Mission & application systems 89 Uncrewed Systems Technology | Class of 2024 No more holes. For more than 35 years, Click Bond has been a leader in the design and manufacture of adhesive-bonded assembly solutions for the aerospace, defense, marine, UAV, advanced air mobility, automotive, and industrial sectors. Adhesive bonding requires no installation holes, no welding, and no hot work. Fewer holes mean greater structural integrity. The adhesive bondline creates a powerful barrier between the fastener and substrate, preventing galvanic corrosion. Our fasteners are lightweight and easy to install. Click Bond’s 5,000+ products include structural hardware and systems installation fasteners, such as sleeves, mounts, studs, and standoffs. Our rivetless nutplates require no installation holes, so they install 80% faster than standard nutplates, saving time and labor. Our global reputation is rooted in providing advanced designs and solutions that achieve unmatched value over our customers’ product lifecycles. The future is adhesive bonding. The future is here. Stop welding. Stop drilling. Start bonding. Categories • Cable Harnesses • Maintenance • Fasteners • Bonds & Seals • Connectors • Composites • Advanced Materials Address 2151 Lockheed Way Carson City, NV 89706-0713 USA Website www.clickbond.com Telephone +1 775 885 8000 Email [email protected] More info: Structural & anatomical systems Click Bond Class of 2024 www.ust-media.com Navigate the world of uncrewed systems with our engineer-focused supplier directory Avionics & electronics Development inputs Platforms Powertrain Mission & application systems Structural & anatomical systems The glider converted by DZYNE into a UAV (Image courtesy of AFRL)
18 Platform one Uncrewed Systems Technology diary August/September 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology 2024 Commercial UAV Expo Americas Tuesday, 3 September – Thursday, 5 September Las Vegas, USA www.expouav.com Space-Comm Expo Scotland Wednesday, 11 September – Thursday, 12 September Glasgow, UK www.space-comm-scotland.co.uk DroneX Tuesday, 24 September – Wednesday, 25 September London, UK www.dronexpo.co.uk Intergeo 2024 Tuesday, 24 September – Thursday, 26 September Stuttgart, Germany www.intergeo.de Uncrewed Systems Tuesday 24 September – Wednesday 25 September London, UK www.defenceiq.com/events-uncrewedsystems Unmanned Systems West Wednesday, 25 September – Thursday, 26 September San Diego, USA www.americanconference.com/unmanned-systems-west UAS Summit & Expo Tuesday, 8 October – Wednesday, 9 October Grand Forks, USA www.theuassummit.com Future C4ISR Summit Tuesday, 29 October – Wednesday, 30 October Arlington, USA www.americanconference.com/futurec4isr International WorkBoat Show Tuesday, 12 November – Thursday, 14 November New Orleans, USA www.workboatshow.com Bahrain International Airshow Wednesday, 13 November – Friday, 15 November Bahrain www.bahraininternationalairshow.com Egypt Defence Expo Sunday, 1 December – Wednesday, 4 December New Cairo, Egypt www.egyptdefenceexpo.com 2025 CES Tuesday, 7 January – Friday, 10 January Las Vegas, USA www.ces.tech Geo Week Monday, 10 February – Wednesday, 12 February Colorado, USA www.geo-week.com IDEX Monday, 17 February – Friday, 21 February Abu Dhabi idexuae.ae XPONENTIAL Europe Tuesday, 18 February – Thursday, 20 February Dusseldorf, Germany www.xponential-europe.com Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Summit Tuesday, 25 February – Wednesday, 26 February San Diego, USA www.americanconference.com/UAVSummit Space-Comm Expo Tuesday, 11 March – Wednesday, 12 March London, UK www.space-comm.co.uk
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