scholarly journals “Open” Category Unmanned Aerial Systems Harmonized Standards and Requirements Complex

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
Andon Andonov
Keyword(s):  
Aviation Safety ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Unmanned Systems ◽  
The Common ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Military ◽  
Aerial Systems

Abstract The steadily increasing use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is an important factor for the military and civil aviation safety on a global scale. One of the critical conditions for the efficient functioning of the European aviation safety system is the establishment and implementation in practice of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the use of unmanned systems in the Common European Airspace. The aviation authorities and industry strive to introduce a set of rules and requirements that adequately and flexibly guarantee a high level of safety without limiting the development of the UAS market. This article proposes a set of standards that should be met by “Open” category UAS with the intention to execute operations in the European airspace.

scholarly journals Accuracy of 3D Landscape Reconstruction without Ground Control Points Using Different UAS Platforms

Drones ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Kalacska ◽  
Oliver Lucanus ◽  
J. Pablo Arroyo-Mora ◽  
Étienne Laliberté ◽  
Kathryn Elmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems

The rapid increase of low-cost consumer-grade to enterprise-level unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has resulted in the exponential use of these systems in many applications. Structure from motion with multiview stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry is now the baseline for the development of orthoimages and 3D surfaces (e.g., digital elevation models). The horizontal and vertical positional accuracies (x, y and z) of these products in general, rely heavily on the use of ground control points (GCPs). However, for many applications, the use of GCPs is not possible. Here we tested 14 UASs to assess the positional and within-model accuracy of SfM-MVS reconstructions of low-relief landscapes without GCPs ranging from consumer to enterprise-grade vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms. We found that high positional accuracy is not necessarily related to the platform cost or grade, rather the most important aspect is the use of post-processing kinetic (PPK) or real-time kinetic (RTK) solutions for geotagging the photographs. SfM-MVS products generated from UAS with onboard geotagging, regardless of grade, results in greater positional accuracies and lower within-model errors. We conclude that where repeatability and adherence to a high level of accuracy are needed, only RTK and PPK systems should be used without GCPs.

scholarly journals A Framework for Multiple Ground Target Finding and Inspection Using a Multirotor UAS

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajmal Hinas ◽  
Roshan Ragel ◽  
Jonathan Roberts ◽  
Felipe Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Target Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Target Position ◽  
Position Estimation ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Modular Software ◽  
Ground Target ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems

Small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) now have advanced waypoint-based navigation capabilities, which enable them to collect surveillance, wildlife ecology and air quality data in new ways. The ability to remotely sense and find a set of targets and descend and hover close to each target for an action is desirable in many applications, including inspection, search and rescue and spot spraying in agriculture. This paper proposes a robust framework for vision-based ground target finding and action using the high-level decision-making approach of Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (OODA). The proposed framework was implemented as a modular software system using the robotic operating system (ROS). The framework can be effectively deployed in different applications where single or multiple target detection and action is needed. The accuracy and precision of camera-based target position estimation from a low-cost UAS is not adequate for the task due to errors and uncertainties in low-cost sensors, sensor drift and target detection errors. External disturbances such as wind also pose further challenges. The implemented framework was tested using two different test cases. Overall, the results show that the proposed framework is robust to localization and target detection errors and able to perform the task.

Unmanned Air Systems in the Armed Forces, Estimating the Risk of Their Use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Cwojdziński ◽  
Hanna Dzido ◽  
Tomasz Łodygowski
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Technical Data ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
The Face ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
Development Prospects

The change in the nature of armed conflicts forced a change in the way they were conducted and the need to develop new types of weapons. The article presents the basic assumptions regarding the use and development prospects of unmanned flying systems. Tactical and technical data of the leading structures are presented. At the same time, the directions of development and use of combat air systems in future armed conflicts were presented. It was pointed out that unmanned aerial systems, the use of which brings significant financial benefits, are the type of weapon that has recently been gaining in importance in the most spectacular way, transforming the face of armed conflicts. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles as part of training tasks and combat missions forces the continuous development of personnel in the field of skills related to hazard identification and assessment. This process requires professionals with a high level of substantive preparation and extensive aviation experience, who will increase the awareness of RPA operators in terms of the essence and the need to analyze and estimate risk. On the basis of analyzes and comparisons, the authors proposed that the development work and the construction of elements and the system (CUAS) to combat UAV become an opportunity for the development of national research institutes and the defense industry, and also Polish export product.

scholarly journals High-Level Modular Autopilot Solution for Fast Prototyping of Unmanned Aerial Systems

IEEE Access ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 223827-223836
Author(s):  
Carlos Rodriguez De Cos ◽  
Manuel J. Fernandez ◽  
Pedro J. Sanchez-Cuevas ◽  
Jose Angel Acosta ◽  
Anibal Ollero
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Fast Prototyping ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems

scholarly journals Automated Agave Detection and Counting Using a Convolutional Neural Network and Unmanned Aerial Systems

Drones ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Donovan Flores ◽  
Iván González-Hernández ◽  
Rogelio Lozano ◽  
Jesus Manuel Vazquez-Nicolas ◽  
Jorge Luis Hernandez Toral
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Convolutional Neural Network ◽  
Detection Method ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Simpler Algorithm ◽  
Computer Image Processing ◽  
Detection And Counting ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems

We present an automatic agave detection method for counting plants based on aerial data from a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Our objective is to autonomously count the number of agave plants in an area to aid management of the yield. An orthomosaic is obtained from agave plantations, which is then used to create a database. This database is in turn used to train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The proposed method is based on computer image processing, and the CNN increases the detection performance of the approach. The main contribution of the present paper is to propose a method for agave plant detection with a high level of precision. In order to test the proposed method in a real agave plantation, we develop a UAV platform, which is equipped with several sensors to reach accurate counting. Therefore, our prototype can safely track a desired path to detect and count agave plants. For comparison purposes, we perform the same application using a simpler algorithm. The result shows that our proposed algorithm has better performance reaching an F1 score of 0.96 as opposed to 0.57 for the Haar algorithm. The obtained experimental results suggest that the proposed algorithm is robust and has considerable potential to help farmers manage agave agroecosystems.

Emerging Technologies: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Gilli ◽  
Mauro Gilli
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Unmanned Systems ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
European Projects ◽  
Bilateral Cooperation ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
The Eu

This chapter investigates the challenges and constraints European countries have faced in the adoption, integration, and production of unmanned aerial systems—also known as drones or remotely piloted vehicles. It illustrates the broader technological transformations that have accompanied the rise of unmanned systems and qualifies their nature and features. It then discusses the various European projects in this field and their outcomes, looking at three periods: the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. The analysis considers both the more successful cases as well as the more controversial programmes, discussing—when possible—the factors contributing to these outcomes, including the role of bilateral cooperation, of the EU, of NATO, and of industry. The chapter concludes with an overview of the field including the challenges ahead.

scholarly journals VIRTUALIZING SUPER-COMPUTATION ON-BOARD UAS

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-7/W3 ◽  
pp. 1291-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Salami ◽  
J. A. Soler ◽  
R. Cuadrado ◽  
C. Barrado ◽  
E. Pastor
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Sensing Applications ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Information Products ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Aerial Systems

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS, also known as UAV, RPAS or drones) have a great potential to support a wide variety of aerial remote sensing applications. Most UAS work by acquiring data using on-board sensors for later post-processing. Some require the data gathered to be downlinked to the ground in real-time. However, depending on the volume of data and the cost of the communications, this later option is not sustainable in the long term. This paper develops the concept of virtualizing super-computation on-board UAS, as a method to ease the operation by facilitating the downlink of high-level information products instead of raw data. Exploiting recent developments in miniaturized multi-core devices is the way to speed-up on-board computation. This hardware shall satisfy size, power and weight constraints. Several technologies are appearing with promising results for high performance computing on unmanned platforms, such as the 36 cores of the TILE-Gx36 by Tilera (now EZchip) or the 64 cores of the Epiphany-IV by Adapteva. The strategy for virtualizing super-computation on-board includes the benchmarking for hardware selection, the software architecture and the communications aware design. A parallelization strategy is given for the 36-core TILE-Gx36 for a UAS in a fire mission or in similar target-detection applications. The results are obtained for payload image processing algorithms and determine in real-time the data snapshot to gather and transfer to ground according to the needs of the mission, the processing time, and consumed watts.

scholarly journals Operation and operation approval of high-altitude platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1037-1044
Author(s):  
F. Nikodem ◽  
S. Kaltenhäuser
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Traffic Management ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
High Altitude Platform ◽  
Specific Category ◽  
High Altitude Platforms ◽  
Medium Risk ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
Long Endurance

Abstract Recently, the European Aviation Safety Agency and other civil aviation authorities introduced a regulatory framework for low- and medium-risk operations of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) where medium-risk operations fall into the ‘specific’ category. Other introduced categories are the ‘open’ category for very-low-risk operations and the ‘certified’ category for high-risk operations that are comparable to manned aviation. This framework has the potential to reduce the certification costs compared to manned civil aviation. This paper discusses the challenges for operators of high-altitude platforms who aim for medium-risk UAS operations in the ‘specific’ category. It also shows ways to obtain an operation approval in the ‘specific’ category and how to deal with the associated operational requirements to perform such long-endurance UAS missions. Moreover, problems the high-altitude platform operator has to face when applying SORA are discussed. The paper closes with a promising approach to further enable high-altitude operations and to face some of the problems that occurred in the applicability of SORA to high-altitude platform operations by the use of 4D-operational volumes and unmanned traffic management (UTM) services.

A Communication Interface for a Dismounted Ground Commander and an Intelligent Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Systems (IA-UAS) – A Feasibility Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-223
Author(s):  
Regina Ziv-Schegolsky ◽  
Ilit Oppenheim ◽  
Yisrael Parmet ◽  
Tal Oron-Gilad
Keyword(s):  
Feasibility Study ◽  
User Feedback ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Unmanned Systems ◽  
Communication Interface ◽  
Wizard Of Oz ◽  
Aerial Systems ◽  
Operator Interaction

As unmanned systems become more intelligent, ground force may be able to interact directly with the UAS, without the need for a human UAS operator as a moderator. We looked at how interaction tools facilitate coordination between commanders and intelligent autonomous UASs. For this a mission execution interface (MEI) was developed. It was added to an existing chat and graphical bi-directional communication interface that was shown valuable for commander-UAS operator interaction. This setup was tested in the battle-lab facility using Wizard-of-Oz technique to generate the intelligent UAS capabilities. Focusing on the utility of the MEI relative to chat alone, or when both communication means are provided, results demonstrate how the MEI was used for mission execution for static or dynamic targets. Design improvements need to be applied to the MEI following the study outcomes and user feedback to make it more effective for conveying the commander’s intent throughout the mission.

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