UAV Factory’s Penguin C UAS Overview

 

UAV Factory’s Penguin C UAS Overview

by

Stanley D. Pebsworth

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

April 2016

A Research Project Submitted to the Worldwide Campus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for course UNSY 605, Unmanned Systems Sensing, Perception, and Processing

UAV Factory’s Penguin C UAS Overview

           

            The UAV Factory Penguin C UAS is an unmanned system that is available for public purchase.  With reliability and cost efficiency in mind, this system is under the 55lbs regulation requirements and has over a 20-hour flight endurance capability (UAV Factory, n.d.).  Safety and reliability are proven with thousands of hours of flight testing (UAV Factory, n.d.).  This research of the Penguin C UAS will describe the sensors, the amount of power, and storage required to operate the system.  This paper will also describe the data format, protocols, and storage methods that are used to make an effective and functional system.  In addition, this research will recommend an alternative data treatment strategy that could improve the operation of the system.

            The Penguin C UAS is typically fitted with the Epsilon 140 dual sensor payload.  This advanced micro gimbal sensor is fitted with an electro optical day and night camera as well as infrared camera.  This sensor will auto track targets with its onboard processor and utilizes a direct drive torque motor for video stabilization often found in small unmanned platforms.  The sensor has an environmental rated protection of IP64 and can operate in temperatures from -25^o to +50^o C.  The sensor requires an input voltage of 10-16 volts and needs 15 watts of power to operate (UAV Factory, n.d.).

            Power for the Penguin C comes from its two-stroke UAV28-EFI engine.  The engine has an integrated 100-watt onboard generator and is coupled with an onboard 100-watt generator power unit that easily powers all onboard systems of the Penguin C and provides both 6V and 12V outputs.  The engine control system monitors and controls the engine operation in order to maximize life and minimize fuel consumption.  Engine management and power generation can be monitored via the portable ground station as well (UAV Factory, n.d.).

            Utilizing its 32 Gb of onboard memory, the Penguin C can store both raw video and still photos.  It records with a 720p HD video output utilizing H.264 (MPEG4) encoding with either PAL or NTSC refresh rates.  The Penguin C can be controlled through its portable ground control station where video recording and photos can be captured as well utilizing a data terminal with a 100km range and the ability of 128bit or 256bit AES encryption.  This data terminal connects using C-Band frequencies with a data link rate of up to 12Mbps (UAV Factory, n.d.).

            Improved data treatment recommendations would be an increased onboard storage capability.  The current 32Gb capability may be too small for a 20 plus hour mission and video capture.  The ground station does have the capability to capture video and still imagery, but having the ability to store a complete 20-hour mission onboard would be a great improvement.  Another data treatment recommendation is to move from 720p to 1080p video.  This increase in HD video quality would also require the increase in onboard data storage size.

           

References

UAV Factory. (n.d.). Epsilon 140 dual sensor payload. Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.uavfactory.com/download/129/Epsilon_140_datasheet_v.1.0.pdf

UAV Factory. (n.d.). Penguin C unmanned aircraft system. Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.uavfactory.com/download/125/penguin-c-datasheet-v2.0.pdf

UAV Factory. (n.d.). Portable ground control station. Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.uavfactory.com/download/88/Portable_Ground_Control_Station_Datasheet_V2.2.pdf

UAV Factory. (n.d.). UAV28-EFI turnkey engine system. Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http://www.uavfactory.com/download/119/UAV28-EFI%2BDatasheet%2BV1.0 .pdf

UAV Factory. (n.d.). 100W generator power unit. Retrieved April 17, 2016 from http:// www.uavfactory.com/download/12/100_W_Generator_Power_Unit_Datasheet_V2_0.pdf

UAS Sensor Placement

 

Unmanned Aerial Systems Sensor Placement

by

Stanley D. Pebsworth

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

April 2016

A Research Project Submitted to the Worldwide Campus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for course UNSY 605, Unmanned Systems Sensing, Perception, and Processing

Unmanned Aerial Systems Sensor Placement

            In the world of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) the consumer has a wide range of choices and uses.  Uses range from aerial photography to First Person View (FPV) racing and the choices may seem endless.  This paper will focus on my two favorite systems for use in aerial photography and FPV racing as well as describe the many sensors used on each system and their purpose.

Aerial Photography

            In the world of aerial photography, the consumer must determine what type of camera system they wish to use.  In one case you could simply use a gimbaled GoPro camera and in another case you could use your own DSLR camera.  For those wishing to produce both aerial photography and aerial video the DJI Spreading Wings S1000+ is a great choice.

            The Spreading Wings S1000+ has the capability to fly your personal DSLR camera such as the 5D Mark III from Canon.  Coupled with the DJI A2 flight controller which has built in IMU, radio receiver, and GPS receiver, the S1000+ has intelligent orientation control, point of interest, landing gear control, auto return to home, and a fault detection capability in the event of a motor failure.  This sensor is mounted centrally to the system with the GPS antenna mounted on the top of the system for clear line of sight with satellites (DJI.com, n.d.).

            As mentioned, the S1000+ has retractable gear.  This function coupled with the Zemuse Z15 gimbal allows for full 360-degree unobstructed freedom of you DSLR camera.  The S1000+ utilizes a 2.4Ghz full HD digital video downlink system called Lightbridge.  This allows to user to view what the camera sees allowing for the best viewing angles and video capture.  This system costs all in at around $4,500.00 US.  For the user that wishes to get into the professional aerial photography business, the S1000+ provides professional grade sensors and control (DJI.com, n.d.).

First Person View Racer

            For the consumer wishing to get into the hobby of FPV racing, there again are many options to choose from.  A new emerging technology is the capability of the FPV racer to tilt its rotors.  This means that in high speed forward flight, the camera system mounted on the system is not looking at the ground.  One of these FPV racers with this capability is the Walkera Furious 320.

            There are several Furious 320 packages to choose from; specifically, the GPS Edition 2.  This package includes the DEVO-10 radio transmitter, 1080p camera, OSD, and GPS.  The camera sensor on the 320 is placed on the nose of the racer.  This allows for the best FPV and the GPS antenna and sensor are mounted on top of the racer for best GPS signal reception (Walkera.com, n.d.).

            With the Furious 320, GPS signals are used to both navigate and return to a known location as well as continually compute the remaining battery life and the distance it needs to fly back to the home point.  All in and ready to fly, the Walkera Furious 320 costs $609.00 US.  For a great FPV racing experience, the Furious 320 provides modern technology, professional design, and quality sensors usage (Walkera.com, n.d.). 

References

DJI.com. (n.d.). Spreading Wings S1000+. Retrieved 11 April 2016 from http://www.dji .com/product/spreading-wings-s1000-plus

Walkera.com. (n.d.). Furious 320. Retrieved 11 April 2016 from http://shop.walkera.com /en/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=257

Unmanned Systems Maritime Search and Rescue

 

Unmanned Systems Maritime Search and Rescue

by

Stanley D. Pebsworth

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

April 2016

                                   

Research paper submitted to the Worldwide Campus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for course UNSY 605, Unmanned Systems Sensing, Perception, and Processing

Abstract

Within the United States national parks, Search and Rescue of isolated personnel is an expensive and time consuming task.  From 2003 to 2006 there were 12,337 Search and Rescue operations within our national parks at a cost of $16,552,053.  For these isolated persons, error in judgment, physical condition, insufficient equipment, and experience were the major contributors to the issue.  Time is of the essence in Search and Rescue Operations.  This paper will research Unmanned Systems that have been used recently in Search and Rescue Operations in a maritime environment.  It will address the specific sensors used and potential modifications that could make this system more successful.  The research will suggest possible applications of both Unmanned Aerial and Unmanned Maritime Systems that could be used in conjunction with each other to enhance effectiveness.  This research will also address the advantages of Unmanned Maritime Systems in Search and Rescue Operations over their manned counterparts.

Keywords: unmanned system, maritime, search and rescue, operation, sensor

Unmanned Systems Maritime Search and Rescue

            From 2003 to 2006 there were over twelve thousand Search and Rescue Operations within our national parks.  Of these, over four thousand were maritime related (Heggie, T. W., & Heggie, T. M., 2009).  Most isolated individuals are located within a 24-hour period.  During Search and Rescue one thing is constant, time is critical to survival (Heggie, T. W., & Heggie, T. M., 2009).  The use of Unmanned Systems in Search and Rescue has gained interest over the years.  In October of 2014, the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation held sea trials to test the integration of Unmanned Surface and Aerial Systems for Search and Rescue.  These tests were held as part of the ICARUS (Integrated Components for Assisted Rescue and Unmanned Search operations) program (Marinelog, n.d.).

            The ICARUS project hosts systems that use Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Thermal Imaging, and Inertial Navigation Units (INU) to sense the systems movement and aide in navigation (ICARUS, n.d.).  Specific proprioceptive sensors are used that improve performance in the maritime environment such as GPS and INU. This program concentrates on the development of technology used in detecting, locating, and recuing individuals in crisis at sea (ICARUS, n.d.).

            Shortcomings to Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) are endurance at sea and time to search a specified area.  Improvements could be made in the coordinated effort with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).  The UAS could cover a specified search are much faster that the UMS and once the isolated individual is located the UMS could be deployed to either recover or take needed supplies to the individual.  This coordinated effort could reduce risk to rescue personnel as well as reduce the large costs associated with Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. 

Reference

Heggie, T. W., & Heggie, T. M. (2009). Search and rescue trends associated with recreational travel in US national parks. Journal of Travel Medicine, 16(1), 23-27. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8305.2008.00269.x

ICARUS. (n.d.). Project Overview. Retrieved April 2, 2016 from http://www.fp7-icarus.eu /project-overview

Marinelog. (n.d.). Roles of robots in maritime search and rescue explored. Retrieved April 2, 2016 from http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id =8146:roles-of-robots-in-maritime-search-and-rescue-explored&Itemid=230