Sense and Avoid Sensor Selection

Sense and Avoid Sensor Selection
We have seen so many unmanned systems and even more sensors packed into them. This seems to be the direction that UAV’s are taking with sensors becoming more precise and detecting more data. Many drones we see today are installing sensors in a 360-degree configuration to provide obstacle avoidance in all directions these sensors allow the aircraft to identify an obstacle and stop the aircraft to keep it from crashing. In certain return home modes, these aircraft can detect the barrier and go around it to continue the mission home. With this avoidance system, it is easier for the operator to collect the data needed from the camera or payload without the need to also look out for obstacles. Many aircraft works with fixed sensors facing different directions to collect various data, whether it be more obstacle avoidance or environmental data. There is one aircraft that has seemed to change this thought process when it comes to small UAS systems with a revolutionary sensor.
The company that has created this is called Zero Zero Robotics, and the aircraft is the Hover 2. They released a Hover Passport a few years ago and with profits there, and crowdfunding has produced the Hover 2. This aircraft is roughly the same as other small UAS with a 4k camera and 2 axis gimble, about 30 minutes of battery life. The ability to be controlled from a phone or small handheld remote or larger remote with a 5000m range. The one sensor that sets it apart is the top mounted retractable sensors that are mounted on a 360-degree turntable so the aircraft can look in whatever direction it is flying. This allows for fewer sensors on the body saving space and weight. The processing power to run a bunch of sensors is done away with, and the powerful Snapdragon processor can focus on better AI which leads me to the next cool feature. The company says, “Combined with SLAM 3D mapping, VIO (Visual Inertial Odometry), and path planning features, the drone can navigate new environments with 360-degree obstacle avoidance and bypass obstacles while tracking a target in real time. These cutting-edge algorithms are powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon processor” ("Hover 2", (n.d.)).  The obstacle avoidance can detect obstacles up to 10m and avoid them at speeds up to 7m/s ("Hover 2", (n.d.)). These few sensors allow this aircraft to essentially fly itself through areas that even an operator might have trouble navigating with just line of sight. The other main sensor that the drone uses is the camera and an intelligent computer vision system. “Hover 2's computer vision system can accurately lock onto the target even after significant changes in appearance and shape of the target. By modeling the environment and monitoring the surrounding figures, our algorithm can accurately assess the cause of the obstruction and intelligently adjust its tracking strategy” ("Hover 2", (n.d.)).
In conclusion, this sUAS is an ideal piece of equipment for people that truly want to be hands off. The aircraft is available through the Kickstarter campaign at $449 for just the AV and $599 for the palm pilot option or $699 for the blastoff edition. This is a steal for the amount of simple, yet complex tech crammed into this aircraft.


References
Hover 2. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.hover.ai/hover2


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