Article Summary of "Electro-optical sensor payloads for small UAVs"

During my pursuit of a Masters in Unmanned Systems, the topic of shrinking sensors to fit small UASs came up in a discussion during class. I decided to search the internet to see what information could be found. Below you will find a summary of an article that address the constraints and challenges of fitting Electro-Optic/ Inferred (EO/IR) sensors on small UASs.
   
The following is a summary of article titled "Electro-optical sensor payloads for small UAVs" which could be found at this LINK.

This photo shows the relatively small size of the ScanEagle UAS which was studied in this article

Summary: 

Development in unmanned systems has been increasing exponentially over the past few years, and the sensors that accommodate these systems are progressing as rapidly as the systems themselves. Development is occurring in ground and marine based unmanned systems, but the requirement to shrink sensors is truly a requirement coming from the airborne sector of the unmanned world. In the world of small UAS, grams of payload directly correlate to proportionally large amounts of loiter time.

In the past, EO/IR sensors were developed for large UASs, low flying helicopters, or large manned platforms. Today, the developments in small UASs, both in the civilian and military sectors, have created a paradigm shift in the development of these EO/IR sensors. Previously, developers of EO/ IR sensors were able work "off the shelf" camera technology into operational, multi-function payloads. Today, due to the shrinking size of the air vehicles and changing mission requirements, engineers have begun to focus on building light weight solutions from ground up. This has allow requirements to truly drive development, and new EO/ IR sensors are not only lighter, but more effective for future unmanned missions. 

The author uses two examples to highlight how a paradigm shift in engineering and a fundamental change in thinking altered small UAS sensors. The first example utilizes the change from uncooled to cooled EO/IR sensors. Originally, the use of improved glass optics and uncooled IR systems cut weight and would provide adequate mission accomplishment. Today, the capability of small UASs has increased as well as the altitudes they are able to fly, and the additional weight associated with a cooled system now outweighs the limitations of the uncooled variant. The other example studies the transition from the lightweight and less precise 2 axis stabilization system to a 4 axis stabilization system. Like the cooled vs uncooled scenario, the increase in small UAS capability through UAS specific engineering requires a more stable platform which is more capable of allowing higher precision payloads to be carried.    

The article concludes by discussing how the shrinking of what were once only large UAS sensors will bring advanced functions like 3D mapping into smaller and more affordable system. Not only will the airborne systems benefit, but both ground and marine systems will benefit as well.  


Brett Chereskin