from boom to bust to destiny a potential flight path for ... potential flight path for commercial...
TRANSCRIPT
1
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
A Potential Flight Path for Commercial UAV Markets
Robin Higgons
Qi3 Ltd
Setting the Scene
Range of UAV Types
Early Commercial Applications • Transport
• Imaging - Still cameras
- Video cameras
• Measurement & analysis - (Environmental Science)
Source: Air-Technology
Source: Domino’s Pizza, Inc.
2
Category Sub Category
Long Range HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance)
MALE (Mid Altitude Long Endurance)
VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing)
Other
Mid-Range TUAV (Tactical UAV)
VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing)
Other
Short Range SUAVs (Small UAV)
MUAVs (Micro UAV)
VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing)
Other
From Boom
3
Early Commercial Markets
• Agriculture
• Environmental Research
• Security
• Transport
• Media
Some Emerging Markets
• Energy
– Inspection of power distribution lines
• Oil & Gas
– Pipeline security surveillance
– Inspection of oil rigs & installations
• Minerals
– Geo-physical surveys
• Telecoms
– Mobile, easily deployable base stations
Photo: Joe Proudman/UC Davis
Source: Unmanned.co.uk
From Boom to Bust
4
Platforms Landscape
From Boom To Bust
Market Constraints
• Airspace Regulations
• Technical Inadequacies
of Imaging Capabilities
• Privacy
• Low Barriers to Entry
• Direct and Indirect Competition
• Statistical Process Control
Syndrome – 100% inspection
to characterise system and then 5% inspection to monitor
• Business Models not fit for purpose
Markets may well hit the “So What” barrier
Existing markets likely to grow rapidly in the short term, saturate and decline
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
6
UAVs or Helicopters – Complementary Platforms
• Positives:
Helicopters:
– Speed - up to 300 km/hr.
– Range - extensive
– Stability control - Excellent
– Large height range
– Can produce uninterrupted
flowing shots.
UAV's:
– Can fly close to the subject.
– Little rotor wash
– Quieter
– Low cost
– Low environmental impact
• Negatives: Helicopters:
– Subject proximity limitations
– High cost
– Noisy
– Large rotor wash
– Require vibration suppression.
UAV's:
– Limited maximum speed - 100 km/hr
– Limited payload lift
– Limited flight times?
– Limited to 400 feet without prior approval
– Can not fly over populated areas without approval.
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
7
Satellite Technology Convergence with UAVs
EO Satellite Source: Astrium
NanoSat Source: Infoastro
Cubesat Source: USC
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Other Technology Requirements
• Precision Navigation - GNSS
• Precision attitude
• Precision altimetry / Distance
• Autonomous operation
• Data Synthesis
• Data Interpretation
& Presentation
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Other Measurement Modalities
• Temperature
• Barometric Pressure
• Spectroscopy
– UV
– Vis
– IR
• Particulates
• Humidity
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Remote Sensing Payload v UAV Capability
Key Factors
• Avionics & Data Handling
• Attitude Determination
and Control
• Communications
• Mass & Dimensions
• Power
• Thermal Control
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Remote Sensing Payload v UAV Size / Lift
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
14
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Applications In Antarctica
• Search and rescue
• Way-finding and route finding for:
– land trains; increasing need
– through sea ice leads for vessels
• Structure (i.e. mast) inspection
• Aerial mapping
• Marginal ice zone (MIZ) survey
• Antarctic island airborne survey
• Atmospheric sampling and metrological survey
• Monitoring environmental conditions and wildlife
• High resolution geophysical survey i.e. magnetic anomaly, ice penetrating radar,
strap down gravity or geological structure.
• Emergency / urgent logistics e.g. medical, generator / aircraft / science equip
spares
Courtesy: British Antarctic Survey
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
Applications in Forestry
• Aerial Photograph
– Aerial photography for ortho-rectified Images
– Photogrammetry for quantitative measurements
– Multispectral data for surface & vegetation canopies
– Hyperspectral data for mapping forest health:
• Microwaves (Radar)
– Underlying soil characteristics.
– Forest structure and moisture content
– Canopy species discrimination
– Digital elevation models & tree heights
• Lidar
– Tree height determination
– DEM production
– Tree density & Volume estimates
– Stocking density
– Forest structure
From Boom to Bust to Destiny
UAV Applications in Transport
• Filling in the Logistics Gaps
– Urgent machine spares to remote installations
– Urgent medical supplies to remote locations
– Medical organs for transplant
• Improving Productivity / Costs of Air Logistics
– Regular freight deliver routes
– Humanitarian relief
• New Applications
– Heavy lift capacity in remote locations (VTOL)
– Mobile telecommunications hubs
Key to Success?
• Identifying the “Value Add”?
Value Web & Business Models
18
Qi3 Contact Details
19
Robin Higgons
Qi3 Ltd
St John's Innovation Centre,
Cowley Road,
Cambridge, CB4 0WS,
Tel: +44 (0)1223 422404
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.qi3.co.uk