The world of commercial ready to fly
unmanned aerial systems (UASs) is growing every day. The advancements in
commercial UAS technology have allowed many subcategories of UASs to form. These
categories differentiate from each other based on the intended purpose of the
UAS. Two prevalent categories are first person viewing (FPV) racing systems and
aerial high definition (HD) video capture systems. Both types of systems share
many attributes, but one of the biggest differences between the categories is
sensor placement and integration. FPV racers tend to have forward looking
cameras fixed to the aircraft frame, while UASs designed for aerial photography
tend to have more robust center mounted cameras with controllable gimbals.
Understanding the reasoning behind the sensor placement on these two categories
of UASs will provide insight into unmanned sensor placement and integration as
a whole.
Sensor Placement and Details of the Storm Racing Drone
The industry of FPV racing is different from
that of many other commercial UASs. Often, the parts, components, and sensors
are sold individually, with the intent that each consumer will purchase and
assemble a unique system. The Storm Racing Drone is one of the few exceptions
that offers a ready to fly (RTF) system out of the box. Regardless of whether
or not the FPV racer is RTF or assembled by the user, there tends to be one
constant; the sensor placement and integration. The Storm, for example, has a
forward mounted camera capable of capturing a field of view of 110 degrees at
768x494 resolution. The sensor is also only 71 grams and only 30 dollars
(Helipal.com, 2015). Keeping the sensors light and cheap are essential in FPV
racing due to the high probability of crashing on the racecourse. Another attribute unique to the FPV racer
category is the needs for zero lag video being sent back to the operator. Due
to the fact that flight is controlled by the operator through a first person
viewing device, any lag in video could result in delayed control inputs. Any
delay in control input on a heavily wooded racecourse could result in costly
accidents and the inability to operate the system properly (Helipal.com, 2015).
Sensor Placement and Details of the DJI Inspire 1
The DJI Inspire 1 is one of the latest and
greatest cinematic tools available to the public at this time. This high end
UAS provides stabilized high definition stills and videos to anybody willing to
pay the price. The sensor placement and integration on this system is focused
on providing the best field of view as well as the smoothest and most high
quality captures that can be produced. The integration into the operator
control system is also designed for optimizing video captures, rather than increased
flight performance like the Storm Racing Drone mentioned above. The Inspire 1
is capable of allowing one operator to control the flight controls while
another controls just the camera. Having a center mounted, gyro stabilized
gimbaled payload as well as a separate camera control capability allows this
UAS to be perfectly suited to the world of cinematography. The Inspire 1 is
large and relatively slow compared to the Strom Racing Drone, but unlike a FPV
racer, the Inspire 1 uses GPS autopilot and indoor IR sensors to stabilize the
UAS, while the camera pans and tilts as required by the camera operator (DJI
Inc., 2014). Another aspect that is important to providing the most stable and
high quality image captures, is the ability of the Inspire 1 to provide the
camera an unobstructed 360-degree field of view while in a hover. This is
achieved by a landing gear/ rotor system that actual raises out of the field of
view upon takeoff. Clearing the sensors field of view not only demonstrates the
importance of sensor placement, but the importance of sensor integration during
every step of engineering (DJI Inc., 2014).
Both the Storm Racing Drone and the DJI
Inspire 1 provide clear examples of how companies engineer UASs around sensors
and missions, rather than just strapping sensors onto a well designed flying
machine. The Storm’s front mounted, zero lag camera provides an operator a real
time feed in order to navigate difficult racecourse environments, while the DJI
provides a stable platform that is obstruction free in order to capture every
bit of the world around it in uncompromised clarity. A UASs mission and sensor
should always be considered prior to engineering and building any UAS. The
sensor limitations and constraints will provide engineers with insight into the
overall capabilities and design details of a system as a whole.
References
Helipal.com
Corporation (Ed.). (2015). Storm Racing Drone (RTF / Type-A). Retrieved January
27, 2015, from http://www.helipal.com/storm-racing-drone-rtf-type-a.html
DJI
Inc. (2014). Inspire User Manual V1.0. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://download.dji-innovations.com/downloads/inspire_1/en/Inspire_1_User_
Manual_v1.0_en.pdf
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