Unmanned Systems Technology 017 | AAC HAMR UAV | Autopilots | Airborne surveillance | Primoco 500 two-stroke | Faro ScanBot UGV | Transponders | Intergeo, CUAV Expo and CUAV Show reports

46 Focus | Autopilots This type of capability is enabled by the autopilot function, but requires higher levels of integration with mapping, navigation and power management, as well as the RF links if it is following a beacon to the holding point. If these are on buildings then more sophisticated collision avoidance capabilities will also be needed. That is only one example. As the regulation of UAV systems changes, there will be new infrastructure requirements that autopilot system designs will have to adapt to. Whether that is through additional boards in a modular system, changes to the overall software implementation with re-certification or other ways depends on the developer’s assessment of the overall requirements, safety and integrity of the design. Summary The autopilot is at the core of the design of a UAV and many other unmanned systems. Modular, flexible autopilots can be used across multiple platforms so that the same software can be used to control aircraft, ground vehicles and sea vessels in complex, heterogeneous swarms. However, that needs careful attention to the overall reliability of the autopilot and possible failure modes to ensure a safe system design. Changes to regulation are opening up new requirements for the autopilot design, but that in turn creates challenges in demonstrating the safety, integrity and reliability of the system design. Adding autonomous operation will require a bigger step as part of this move, allowing more innovation in the supporting infrastructure. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank David White and Jonathan Webber at Callen- Lenz, Howard Loewen at Micropilot, Adnan Cetinkaya at A-TechSYN, Javier Espuch at Embention, Kirill Shilov at Sky Drones and Tobias Webster at UAV Navigation for their help with researching this article. December/January 2018 | Unmanned Systems Technology GERMANY Euroavionics +49 7231 586780 www.euroavionics.com IRELAND A-TechSYN +353 91 704 803 www.a-techsyn.com ITALY SIEL Advanced Sea Systems +39 011 681 3840 www.sielnet.com RUSSIA Emlid - www.emlid.com Sky-Drones - www.sky-drones.com SPAIN Airelectronics +34 914 524 832 www.airelectronics.se Embention +34 965 115 421 www.embention.com UAV Navigation +34 91 657 2723 www.uavnavigation.com SWITZERLAND UAVOS +41 225 480624 www.uavos.com UK SkyCircuits/Callen-Lenz +44 (0)23 8098 7475 www.skycircuits.com USA 3drobotics +1 858 225 1414 www.3drobotics.com Adaptive Flight +1 770 951 8755 www.adaptiveflight.com Cloud Cap Technology +1 541 387 2120 www.cloudcaptech.com Hoverfly Technologies +1 888 908 0290 www.hoverflytech.com Lockheed Martin Procerus Tech +1 801 788 3200 www.lm.co.uk MicroPilot +1 204 344 5558 www.micropilot.com Pulse Aerospace +1 785 289 8402 www.pulseaerospace.com Robota +1 925 388 6267 www.robata.us Rockwell Collins +1 540 428 3304 www.rockwellcollins.com UAVOS USA +1 650 584 3176 www.uavos.com UASUSA +1 720 608 1827 www.uasusa.com Examples of autopilot technology manufacturers and suppliers