UAV Systems ComparisonPlanes, Frames and Autopilots

Presenter:Robert Lefebvre

BASc Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa

Managing Director - NOVAerial Robotics Inc.

Ardupilot Developer

6 Years UAV Industry

Why Use UAV’s?

● Cost effective for small data sets● Responsive: rapid deployment● Persistent: easy and cheap to remain on site● Flexibility: multiple payloads● Unique Perspective: Close-in, low altitude● High resolution imagery, no atmospheric distortion● Safety vs traditional methods● Because: Flying Robots!

System Planning

● System Size: transportation and storage

System Planning

● Coverage Area: how much data do you need?○ Construction Site○ Small Farm, Vineyard○ Geographic Area

System Planning

● Flight Time:○ Consider desired coverage area and flight speed○ Single launch vs. battery changes○ Maximum flight distance allowed by VLOS is ~500m

System Planning

● Camera Sensor Payload Size○ Smaller cameras are easier to deploy○ Larger cameras provide better data quality○ Glass matters○ What does your application really need

● Specialized Sensors○ Infrared○ Multispectral○ Magnetometer○ Ground Penetrating Radar

System Planning

● Ease of Operation● Vertical Take-off and Landing● Hovering● Wind Tolerance

Available UAV System Types

● Airplanes● VTOL Airplanes

○ Tail-Sitters○ Vertical Lift (“Quad-planes”)

● Multirotors● Helicopters● Rovers, Boats, Submarines

Think Outside the Box

● DJI dominates the market for pro-sumer and light-commercial systems○ Affordable○ Reliable○ Easy to Use

● Only make multirotor systems○ People think “I need a drone. What can I do with a quadcopter?”

● Unnecessary restriction on a world of possibilities

Airplanes ● Undisputed leader in flight duration and speed○ Massive area coverage in a shorter timeframe

● Great for wide-area mapping○ Not useful for oblique imagery, inspection, etc.○ Problems doing low-level terrain following in hilly regions

● Requires take-off and landing area○ Throw Launch○ Catapult or Bungee○ Belly Landings Common - Damage to airframe and

payload○ Parachute Landings - Weight, Complexity, Reliability,

Wind Drift

Multirotors ● Leading simplicity and ease of use○ Few moving parts○ VTOL○ Wide selection of Ready-to-Fly systems

● Short flight times○ Typically 20-25 minutes○ Large systems 10-15 minutes○ Ultra-Efficient 45-60 minutes, but at a cost!

● Low speed○ Typically 50-60 km/h○ Low area coverage per battery charge○ But easy to change batteries and go

● Does not scale well○ Practical limits on size and duration

Helicopters ● Middle-range Flight Duration and Speed○ 30-60 minutes○ 70-100 km/h

● Unmatched Weather Performance in a VTOL○ 50 km/h+ wind tolerance○ Stable hover

● Ease of Transport○ Heavy payload capability compared to size

● Mechanical complexity and fragile● Dangerous? Difficult?

○ Not more dangerous than comparable multirotor○ As easy to fly as multirotor

● Gas Power! The killer app.○ VTOL performance with multi-hour duration and

high speed

VTOL Planes ● Combine range of airplane, with VTOL of Multirotor○ Sort of….

● Reduced performance compared to airplane○ Less range, lower speed○ Less payload weight and volume

● Poor weather tolerance○ Must weathervane during hover

Rovers Subs

Autopilot Systems● Wide selection of systems

○ $100 to $100,000○ Open-Source vs Closed Source○ Vehicle Types

● Proprietary Systems○ Professional enclosures○ Wide range of quality○ Usually expensive○ Closed ecosystems, restricted payloads○ Slow to adapt○ Reduced features

Open-Source● “Luke, use The Source” vs. APIs (aka: You can’t do that)● Power to the People

○ Keep important technology in the hands of people● Altruism

○ Developing world initiatives● Education

○ High-school STEM clubs○ University competitions○ Post-Grad development

● Community, Share and Share Alike○ We’re all in this together

Ardupilot● Most widely used system in the world

○ 1000 companies, 1,000,000 users● Users own their data!

○ Security concerns● Supports more vehicle types● Rich peripheral ecosystem

○ Camera systems○ Lidar, Radar○ ADS-B

● Inter-Operability with other systems○ Linux co-computers○ ROS○ OpenCV