110 Digest | ISS Aerospace Sensus L heavy-lift multicopter in a good efficiency band within their performance profile, Kempley explains. This is also likely to optimise the balance between performance and longevity. In the larger Sensus L8, the motors are mounted in coaxial pairs, providing higher thrust in a compact configuration and allowing for greater payload capacity without increasing the UAV’s footprint. Further, it enhances redundancy and reliability, ensuring continued operation if one motor fails, which is critical in BVLOS and heavy-lift missions, he emphasises. Other benefits include better yaw control in strong winds, better weight distribution for greater stability. Coaxial designs are also more portable (thanks to their compactness) and rugged, he says, making deployment easier in confined spaces and other challenging environments. “While there is a minor efficiency loss due to airflow interference between the propellers, this can be mitigated through proper tuning. Overall, coaxial motors provide the extra power, stability, and reliability needed for demanding UAV applications,” Kempley continues. The propulsion system’s modular design means that it can easily be reconfigured for different missions and tasks in minutes rather than hours, Kempley adds. This is facilitated by the use of non-propriety data and power interfaces, quick release latching mechanisms and open source software. In terms of energy storage, the company offers either lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries or a hydrogen fuel cell system on both the Sensus L and its smaller sibling the Sensus M. In fuelcell-powered form, the larger is known as the Sensus H2L and can fly for up to 150 minutes, depending on payload and configuration while with batteries it can fly for between 25 and 55 minutes, depending on payload. The fuel cell system is the lightweight Fuel Cell Power Module (FCPM) from Intelligent Energy and is rated at 2.4 kW. With this powerplant, the Sensus H2L can take on missions that involve long loiter times such as surveillance, and those that require significant range such as deliveries in logistics operations. At the heart of the flight control system is a CubePilot autopilot running Arducopter software. The autopilot also uses the Mavlink protocol to communicate with onboard companion computers including an NVIDIA Orin AGX AI board and an Intel NUC Extreme i9 data processing unit. Mavlink provides efficient data exchange for both highlevel mission commands and certain low-level control functions. It is this combination that allows the aircraft to process data from multiple sensors in real time, facilitating both autonomous navigation and immediate data analysis. “This is achieved by direct ROS2 agents and nodes on the AGX interfacing with the autopilot. We then call upon the various data sources during our route planning routines,” Kempley explains. Each of these systems is part of the company’s Unified Avionics Architecture (UAA), which is used across the Sensus range. Designed using an open systems approach, the UAA provides a proven avionics backbone, allowing for seamless integration of various payloads and sensors. It is agnostic towards datalink and command-and-control (C2) systems, providing full IP-based networking that connects the aircraft, payloads, and ground control stations. April/May 2025 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Propellers mounted in four coaxial pairs distinguish the Sensus L8 from the smaller L4. Zigzag pattern on the edges of the composite structure reduce radar cross section Sensus L8 with propellers folded for transport, one of 2 batteries visible plus electrooptical pod and Radarteam Sweden Cobra GPR with Subecho 150 antenna
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