Summary
With ubiquitous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) being adopted into a constantly increasing number of civil and military applications, operation capabilities are becoming more sophisticated. Needs now extend further than just operating Beyond the Line Of Sight (BLOS). Remote operations for applications such as border patrol, aerial surveillance, and specialized missions require that users maintain an uninterrupted connection with a UAV for data transmission and navigational aid. Due to the overall complexity of BLOS UAV operations, market competitors attempt to provide various solutions to customers by attracting them with a range of features related to their particular use case. A crucial role player in a safe and successful mission is the GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System (INS). They are commonly crammed with costly equipment for state-of-the-art UAVs, and losing them may cause unwanted consequences. That alone puts top priority on choosing a reliable GPs-aided INS. Besides exceptional performance, a GPs-aided INS must meet weight and price expectations. For aerospace applications, extra weight is costly, but it is crucial to ensure that the weight trade-off is worth the unit’s cost. Few solutions can compete with the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P model regarding such a strict choice.
How it Works
The diagram outlines the interconnection between core elements of UAV designed for BLOS SATCOM communications.
Our Partner AirSatOne
AirSatOne is a Satcom service provider specializing in aircraft satcom for the cabin and the flight deck. AirSatOne also provides Hybrid Satellite/Terrestrial connectivity with IP-Sec, Leased lines, and MPLS to deliver a secure connection to the customer’s location. Part of what makes this possible is Flightstream SA, which includes network traffic control with prioritization where high-priority data reaches its destination even when 100% of the allocated bandwidth is being used.
Visit www.airsatone.com for more information.
AirSatOne’s BLOS UAV flight and core components
For top-tier Satcom providers like AirSatOne, choosing key components for their services involving BLOS UAV flights is no quick task. After various manufacturers’ assessments, the combination of Cobham’s AVIATOR UAV 200 for SATCOM connectivity and the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P for orientational data was deemed the best fit.
Challenge
Before Inertial Labs’ assistance, AirSatOne had been experiencing difficulties with data format compatibilities between Satcom and other GPS-Aided INS units. The two platforms didn’t support the same sentence structures, and this caused significant setbacks for them. Possible solutions, such as bridging data through a separate converter, have been proposed. The problem with this solution was that it meant additional hardware, extra weight, resources to develop software and budget accommodations. The problem seemed costly until Inertial Labs became a part of the solution.
Solution
Not only does the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P have an extended list of supported data formats, but it has also been preconfigured to work directly with Cobham’s AVIATOR UAV 200 data structures without the need for a converter to solve problems like the one AirSatOne had been dealing with. After leaving the data format issue behind, the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P secured its place in the project because of the excellent navigational accuracy AirSatOne witnessed during the testing phases for SATCOM connectivity issues.
Feedback
AirSatOne commented on the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P and its performance after being tested alongside the AVIATOR UAV 200.
“We subjected the INS-P and the AVIATOR UAV 200 to aggressive maneuvers in the pitch, roll and heading / yaw axis and found that the combination allowed connectivity at extreme angles while maintaining connectivity beyond 60° pitch and roll. To further note the INS-P came on line quickly, even faster than our requirements.”
Jo Kremsreiter, President of AirSatOne.
More on performance
Regarding navigational performance, the Inertial Labs GPS-Aided INS-P precisely indicated 3D orientation, velocity, as well as latitude and longitude by utilizing its powerful tactical-grade IMU (1 deg/hr gyro), high precision GNSS receiver, and Fluxgate gyro-compensated magnetic compass. During testing, connectivity remained stable with no interruptions even while rotating a full 360°, undergoing pitch variations of values greater than ±45°, and experiencing roll values up to 45°.
Why else choose GPS-Aided INS-P?
- Unbeatable price for the quality
- Certified by prominent agencies
- Proven reliability in Hectic Conditions
- Rich functionality
- Excellent Customer Service
GPS-Aided INS-P
Inertial Labs Inc. designed and produced a compact, enduring, and professional-grade model of its GPS-Aided INS product line — the INS-P. This model utilizes an advanced Novatel® GNSS receiver, a tactical-grade IMU (1 deg/hr gyro), and a gyro-compensated Fluxgate magnetic compass to provide accurate position, velocity, heading, pitch and roll for UAVs of any caliber. It runs on an in-house built advanced-board sensors-fusion filter, state-of-the-art navigation, and guidance algorithms and also comes with its enhanced calibration software. The Inertial Labs INS-P surpasses many competitors by performing remarkablely in the most challenging conditions while staying affordable.
