dynamically changes that speed as it tracks its own energy consumption, and the optical sensors speed to avoid blurring, and it certainly won’t let users deliberately choose unsafe velocities.” The seeming complexity of the control architecture is offset somewhat by the lack of servos to control. Altitude changes are achieved solely through differential rotor thrusting (the lack of servos also reduces maintenance costs, given that servos are one of the most frequently replaced UAV components). KDE also provides the craft’s motor controllers, which eases integration with the motors. Propellers for the 025 are also supplied by KDE for now, although this may change in the future as FIXAR has designed a new propeller optimised for aerodynamic efficiency in the UAV’s angled-rotor flight and thrust, based on real-world testing data. FIXAR plans to manufacture this new propeller in-house, and it anticipates that it will yield 20-25% greater efficiency and hence 40-50 minutes more flight time. Communications In pursuit of high-quality, cost-effective communications, FIXAR has chosen DTC as the sole supplier of all its data-link radios and most antennas (with some ground-based directional antennas coming from other suppliers such as PIDSO). As well as the Australian company’s radios providing consistent latency and bandwidth, FIXAR reports agility and flexibility in DTC’s customer support and response; a critical aid given the challenge of integrating systems to work effectively in the 025’s 3D control regime (given wave polarisation, and what it means for how connection strength changes with banking and pitching). “Radios are still a matter of customer choice, as each use-case will have different distances and terrains that their data link or mesh network needs to deal with, but DTC provides many different options for different ranges and prices,” Fainveits says. “Transponders are, similarly, something we can install based on customer needs. We’re a global company now, so any number of transponder suppliers and protocols are fine by us. That can include DroneTag, beacons, ADS-B and so on.” World future With FIXAR satisfied that its aerospace technology has reached a key pinnacle in the 025 – one that can be scaled up or down to meet market demands on cost, payload capacity, endurance or transportability – its future plans for scaling up its business include licensing the production of UAVs to third parties. This will include technology transfer to other countries, although partners will be responsible for their own payload integrations given the importance of quick turnaround in collaborating with vendors and fulfilling customer requests. “That means partners can manufacture FIXAR UAVs locally, rather than us shipping them out. We’ve introduced this with one company in India already, with another in South Korea to follow, and we plan on both working with existing centres of excellence and helping create new ones, with models based on sharing revenues and scientific expertise,” Fainveits says. “Licensing our technology will also mean building 3D map servers in partners’ countries to give functional safety and security in their customers’ ability to operate, and a degree of accountability and hence reliability that one can’t get when relying on open-source tech.” In addition to partners in India and South Korea, FIXAR is working towards partnership agreements on manufacturing and r&d in Portugal (with environmental institutes and the University of Coimbra there). It has also signed an agreement with the Center of excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research, Development and Education in Accra, Ghana, which is held as one of Africa’s foremost centres of UAV competency, through which FIXAR UAVs have already begun flying on behalf of companies and government ministries across Africa. “Training and maintenance are already provided through that centre, customised and adapted for the expectations of African customers,” Fainveits says. “They plan to become the leading centre of UAV excellence in Africa, and they’re led by Kofi Owusu-Adusei, who has founded and runs multiple UAV r&d and services companies. The UAV world needs people like him, so we’re very excited for what 2025 has in store for FIXAR and the industry as a whole.” 113 Uncrewed Systems Technology | February/March 2025 FIXAR 025 UAV Blended wing body with additional, closed triangular wing Battery-electric Wingspan: 2800 mm MTOW: 25 kg Payload capacity: 10 kg Maximum cruising speed: 85 kph Operating speed: 50-55 kph Endurance: 3.5 hours Maximum flight distance: 300 km Operating ceiling: 6000 m AMSL Some key suppliers GNSS: u-blox Inertial systems: Xsens (subsidiary of Movella) Inertial systems: TDK InvenSense Cameras: Sony Lidars: LightWare Lidars: YellowScan Lidars: RIEGL Lidars: TopoDrone Electric motors: KDE Direct Radios: DTC Antennas: PIDSO Key specifications
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