UAV & ROV Autopilot

Problem We Solve

Any sensor fixed to either UAVUnmanned Aerial Vehicle. Remotely piloted aircraft commonly referred to as a drone. See also or ROVRemotely Operated Vehicle. Underwater robot common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. See also systems must be light and small and must have a low power consumption. In addition, high shocks resistance is a key element to keep the integrity of the IMUAn IMU or Inertial Measurement Unit is an electronic device that measures the heading and orientation and velocity of a vehicle. It contains both an accelerometer and a gyroscope to provide necessary data to maneuver an aircraft or spacecraft, especially when GPS signals are not available. in case of crash. In terms of accuracy, the IMUs integrated on professional drones, should deliver accuracies corresponding to the Inertial Tactical Grade. Accelerometers of the Inertial Tactical Grade will have bias repeatability performances of around 1 mg.

Unmanned aviation vehicles (UAVs) may have various sizes from a portable unit (SUAV) to a size of a small airplane. UAVs perform missions of different complexity, like mapping, target tracking, offensive neutralizing. UAV may fly over a medium (30 minutes) to a long period of time (up to 20-30 hours) without a pilot, in an autonomous mode. Therefore UAV systems are equipped with the reliable flight trajectory control instruments.

Why it is Important

The sensors embedded in a UAV can be exposed to high accelerations and repetitive shocks, during take-off and landing, respectively. In some cases, the IMUs are directly in contact with the outer air. A flying system is based on one crucial point: the lower its weight and power consumption, the longer it flies. Lastly, the drone might encounter crash and can damage its components. The ROVs working underwater are faced to high pressures. Even if the sensors are fixed into a container, leaks may occur and water can damage the system.

UAV systems have the following critical requirements:

• High stability during take-off, navigation manoeuvers and landing
• Permanent monitoring based on the various integrated high performance sensors
• Autonomy of mission realisation even whenever the command signal from the base is broken
• Autonomy of the flight trajectory remote control based on the autopilot system.

Autopilot’s main functional component is an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which is composed of highly accurate and stable sensors, 3-axis gyroscopes and 3-axis accelerometers. Autopliot IMUs tracks the path of the drone and stabilizes its flight whenever the drone operates in harsh conditions.

IMUs forms the main functional component of another type of remotely operated vehicles – ROVs. ROV achieves tasks in harsh environments, underwater, exploring new abyssal zones or scouting in a radioactive area… The functions of the IMU in ROV system are quite similar to those of the UAV, the only difference is the environments in which vehicles operate.

How We Solve it

Safran provides a scalable solution for any UAV or ROV that needs to maintain the integrity of the IMU using a robust MEMS Accelerometer.

Tactical-Grade MEMS Accelerometer MS1000

The easiest way to guarantee that your ROV or UAV stays operational during flight is to incorporate the ruggedized MS1000 MEMSMicroElectroMechanical System. See also AccelerometerAccelerometer measures the acceleration it experiences. See also. MS1000 is a  best-in-class accelerometer which is designed specifically for inertial applications. Its extremely low-SWAP (Size, Weight and Power) form factor make it so that it can easily fit into any module inside a UAV, ROV or any IMU onboard a fixed-wing aircraft. The MS1000 can withstand intense vibration and temperature environments, earning its ruggedized performance rating. Perhaps the most notable attribute of this tiny yet incredibly accurate accelerometer is that it draws only 10mW of power, which is ten times less than existing solutions with similar capabilities.

The MEMS Accelerometer product suite can be embedded within autopilot systems, attitude systems (AHRSAttitude Heading Reference System. 3-axis sensors that provide heading, attitude and yaw information for aircraft. Replaces traditional mechanical gyroscopic flight instruments. See also) and ship navigation and control systems.

Why Choose Us

• Reliable In Harsh Environments – The MS1000 is designed to withstand extreme forces of acceleration equivalent to many times the force of gravity.
• Self-Test Functionality – The built-in self-test mode generates a square wave signal on the device outputs (OUTP & OUTN) and can be used for device failure detection. This can be helpful to prevent system faults before they occur.
• Ensures Safety & Reliability – The high-quality sensor design, the MEMS Accelerometer products support test engineers around the world quickly and flexibly, to ensure safety and reliability of vehicles, equipment and buildings.
• Unbeatable Performance – Long Term Bias Repeatability: 1.2 mg (+/10g, typ)

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