102 Show report | Commercial UAV Expo (IMU) for aerial and maritime applications; the hardened, IP68-sealed Anello IMU+ for robotics; and the Anello GNSS INS, which combines two dual-band, fiveconstellation GNSS receivers with a six-axis MEMS/SiPhOG accelerometer/ gyroscope for autonomous trucking and precision agriculture. Balko Tech recently presented Connectiv, which it describes as the second generation of the world’s first modular Lidar system for UAS. According to Johnathan Smeh, the concept behind Connectiv is to mount the Lidar alongside supporting sensors – such as RGB (colour), thermal or multispectral cameras – together with an inertial navigation system (INS) and onboard computer onto a single chassis. This configuration ensures every sensor meets the same high accuracy. The system on display was configured with a Riegl miniVux-3UAV Lidar, a Trimble Applanix APX20 GNSS/IMU module and a 61 MP Sony RGB camera, all integrated onto the Connectiv chassis. This setup was attached to an anti-vibration mount under a Velos V3 helicopter, but Smeh emphasises that the system is “drone-agnostic”, meaning it can be mounted on a variety of UAVs. “The engineering challenge was building a rigid chassis with consistently precise sensor attachments, rigorously tested and calibrated to ensure data quality,” he said. “Each sensor has a unique calibration profile. We build the system, then conduct multiple benchmark flights at our calibration sites to test the Lidar, cameras and INS. Each configuration undergoes extensive testing to create a profile that works with our software, combining all raw sensor data into a geolocated, colourised point cloud.” Blue Marble Geographics presented advances in 3D data analysis, particularly point clouds, in their all-in-one GIS software, Global Mapper. The focus was on increasingly accessible tools that use machine learning to improve understanding of landscapes and built environments. Lidar point clouds, once collected using manned aircraft, are more efficiently captured with UAVs, as they offer higher resolution and affordability, said Cassidy Barkalow. “Point clouds are a very informationdense form of data... every single one of maybe half a million points can have an RGB value plus others like intensity, return number, and more.” Classifying specific features in point clouds involves two main steps, Barkalow explained: geometric segmentation, where a computer separates the data into distinct objects (trees, buildings, etc); and semantic segmentation, which assigns meaning to these segments. Machine learning enables custom classification, allowing users to identify specific objects, such as sand traps on a golf course, by training the system on a few examples. “That is where we’ve got our tool for automatic custom classification, where you can train a machine-learning model yourself with just a couple of quick steps.” she added. Blue Marble’s future tool development will focus on data fusion, improving ease of use and automating summary reports. Calian showcased the newest, smallest and lightest members of its Tallysman GNSS antenna family, designed for ease of integration into uncrewed platforms. These include helical, patch and cross-dipole antennas, which combine compactness and low weight with high performance, according to Joseph Botros. Calian’s standard, helical antenna weighs 42 g and measures 62 mm high complete with housing, while the new one is a centimetre shorter and 10 g lighter with the same performance. Calian used the “filar meandering” technique to miniaturise the antenna, putting a sharper bend in the upper end of each active element to reduce height while keeping the length the same to preserve frequency coverage, Botros explained. The company also offers a new “smart” helical antenna, the HCS885XF, which has a U-Blox Neo F9P receiver integrated into the housing. “You get the JST serial output from the bottom instead of an RF connection, taking the guesswork out of the integration,” said Botros. Also on display was the SSL889XF, which he described as the world’s lightest and smallest precision, dual-band patch antenna. Patch antennas have a October/November 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Connectiv multi-sensor chassis on anti-vibration mount
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