Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.
Issue link: https://insideunmanned.epubxp.com/i/470284
48 unmanned systems inside Spring 2014 air Meanwhile, Back at the Lab Despite the absence of a European-wide regula- tory framework, UAV-related research and in- novation have marched steadily forward. Jon Verbeke is a lecturer and doctoral can- didate at the KU Leuven University campus in Oostende. His Ph.D. thesis focuses on design of a new configuration of multicopter UAV that can navigate autonomously through an orchard— instead of above it. Verbeke and colleagues from sister college university VIVES, have designed and produced several UAVs, from very small, up to 6 meters in wingspan and 65-kilogram maximum weight, with electric propulsion. In any case, he reminds us, "Commercial use of UAVs in Belgium is forbidden. Permits can only be applied for demonstration, scientific or govern- mental purposes—for the greater good—and this is on a case-by-case basis. Even for universities this is problematic. Testing of a new UAV is difficult, and there is lots of paperwork. The BCAA requires a technical construction file, an operational manu- al and a safety manual to approve test flights. "But also," he says, "since the industry is mov- ing so slowly because of the lack of regulatory framework, the universities cannot benefit from the R&D; within industry and vice versa." Returning to matters of technology, Verbeke cites the central role of GNSS in UAV applica- tions and his expectation that new systems such as Europe's Galileo will enable developers to achieve the centimeter-level positioning that his UAV project needs. . . . and in the Market While academic research groups like the one at KU Leuven stand at the forefront of new and exciting technological innovations, commer- cial operators such as Gatewing, Orbit GIS, and Switzerland-based SenseFly are moving directly to providing products and services and making money. Gatewing is a Ghent-based company found- ed in 2008 and acquired by U.S.-based GNSS pioneer Trimble in 2012. Products include the Gatewing X100, a turnkey mapping and sur- veying drone on the market since 2010, and the recently launched Trimble UX5. The company's co-founder, Peter Cosyn, says, "Our main user is the surveyor who is focused on asset mapping. He typically works for a service company or is an internal supplier of geospatial data for a big company. The surveying company is our main client but we also sell to new compa- nies that focus on UAS services." These include mining, engineering, and con- struction companies along with clients in agri- culture, forestry, energy, dredging, government and "a significant number of universities." "The main issue," Cosyn says, "is the fact that we can only deal with some national rules at the moment and the big guys that make the interna- tional framework [the International Civil Avia- tion Organization], the U.S. rules [Federal Avia- tion Administration] and the EU rules (EASA) are still doing their homework. "This clearly limits the market potential at the moment, especially if you are a professional MAVinci autonomous micro air-vehicle surveys an open mining site. 5 Photo: www.esa.int