thales magic atols

www.thalesgroup.com

THALES MAGIC ATOLSTHALES MAGIC ATOLS

PRODUCTAutomatic Take Off & Landing

On Land and Sea …

2 /2 /

� ATOL function preamble / context

� Existing Solutions & Limitations

Summary

� Existing Solutions & Limitations

� MAGIC ATOLS FW Solution

� MAGIC ATOLS FW Description

� MAGIC ATOLS RW

3 /3 /

ATOL (Automatic Take Off & Landing) function

� Take –Off and landing phases are critical for RPAs� ATOLS are used

� during Take – Off & Landing phases

� to measure RPA position

� In order ATOLS associated with RPA Flight Control automatically control the flight path

Preamble / Context

� to insure safe Take-Off or Landing whatever the environment

� without the need of an external pilot

� To mitigate risks, to limit skilled field operators

� Today primary ATOL function is mainly based on (D) GPS and altimeter information process - with back-up solutio n

Safer ATOL function is nedded for all conditions

4 /4 /

GPS only based solutions

� Depend on satellites

� Can be jammed

� Elevation measurement precision affected when Air P latform is near ground (association with RALT is mandatory)

LASER Based Solution Risks

� Weather dependant solution (short range)

Existing Solutions & Limitations

� Weather dependant solution (short range)

� Important search time due to the narrow pencil beam space scanning (or additional optical capture system is needed)

� Track lose risk when facing wind shear conditions

� No fail safe mode (in case of reflector “failure”)

� Power consuming for mirror de-icing

� Limited growth potential

Not satisfactory in all conditions

5 /5 /

Ka Band RADAR Based Solution

composed of a moveable narrow beam fix frequency gr ound radar and an airborne transponder subsystem, presents risks due to the Ka band and design:

� High power transmission needed to reach all weather requirement

� Installation constraints on board (due to the trans ponder installation), and on the ground component


and on the ground component

� More search time required due to the narrow pencil beam space scanning

� System integration constraints

� No fail safe mode (in case transponder failure)

The Ka narrow beam solution has challenges

6 /6 /

Landing sensors based on basic radar technology

present position measurement perturbations when the measured elevation angle is a "low angle" (typically during the last p hase of the landing approach)

perturbations on main signal amplitude & phase are due to a parasite signal reflection off the ground


UAV

Image

h2

r11r12

r1N

R21

R2Nh11

h12

h1NN

Plan horizontal

Sol Réel

θθθθc

θθθθi

a

d

RADAR ANTENNA

h2

dr

Basic radar solutions are unsatisfactory

7 /7 /

� All weather utilization

� Wide area instantaneous acquisition

� Autonomous (doesn’t need any external information as GPS, Inertial Navigation System data , , ) to measure RPA position: RPA landing possible when GPS is denied

� Accurate and continuous RPA position

Safe, accurate and stable guidance

THALES MAGIC ATOLS FW solution for Customers needs

� Accurate and continuous RPA position measurement

� Very easy to deploy and set up by non skilled operators

� Product suitable for all types of fixed wings RPA (TACTICAL, MALE, HALE)

� Easy to integrate within RPA System

Customers needs have been the driver for developmen t

8 /8 /

Air Beacon Unit (ABU)14 cm x 14 cm x 5 cm 500g 5,5 in x 5,5 in x 2 in 1,1 lbs

Ground BeaconUnit (GBU)

Overcomes existing limitations, copes with Customers needs andprovides accurate and stable guidance for Fixed Wings RPA

THALES MAGIC ATOLS FW solutionTHALES MAGIC ATOLS FW solution

Ground Radar Unit (GRU)& Power Control Unit (PCU)

MAGIC ATOLS FW X Band offers an innovative solution

� Low power, large beam, horizontal polarization

� X band Ground Radar

� X band Air Beacon

� X band Ground Beacon

9 /9 /

UAV

Image

h2

r11r12

r1N

R21

R2Nh11

h12

h1NN

Plan horizontal

Sol Réel

θθθθc

θθθθi

a

d

RADAR ANTENNA

h2

dr

θ=h2/d

MAGIC ATOLS FW: element description

SN

S1

S2

h1i

Fm=2h2/λd

SiL

Ground Radar Unit (GRU) receivers & transmitters

Patented algorithms to determine elevation

Amplitude modulation

Frequency modulation computation to determine

θ elevation

10 /10 /

� Small and light elements (and associated containers )

� Easy for transportation

MAGIC ATOLS FW: Typical installation

Easy transportation

11 /11 / MAGIC ATOLS FW: typical installation

Class 2 Runway (Visual) - Exclusion Zone

Prepared Strip

Touch-Down

Point area

450m

Obstacle Free

>100m

10 deg>20m

ATOLSGRU

ATOLSGBU300-400m

40m

<1000m

60m60m

Take-off & landing direction

UAV position measurement

� Simple installation and set-up aside prepared or un prepared runway

� Less than 30 min. installation time with 2 soldiers ( the system provides

full automatic calibration and installation report )

� All type of runway nature

Easy installation aside strip

UAV Ground Control Station

Data Link

Ground Beacon UnitGround Radar Unit Air Beacon Unitorders

12 /12 /

GLIDE PATHGCS

CONOPS:

� UAV acquisition & recognition (one of five)

� Operator check

� Operator decision to launch the automatic landing sequence

Acquisition area ~10 Km

Air Beacon switched on

Tracking area

~5 Km

MAGIC ATOLS FW CONOPS

TD

GBU

GRU

1Automatic Calibration phase (GRU & GBU)

UAV detection & recognition + azimuth& elevation measurement

Tracking (azimuth & elevation & range& speed measurement)

Taxi guidance: tracking (azimuth& elevation & range & speed measurement)

2

3

4

Easy CONOPS

13 /13 /

UAV GCS

UAS System data link

Data exchanges with RPA system

MAGIC ATOL Ground Elements

MAGIC ATOL Air Beacon1 2

Easy integration within RPA system

RPA position measurement

(relative & absolute)

14 /14 /

MAGIC ATOLS GROUND RADAR is interfaced with the UAV GCS

� via a full duplex Gigabit ETHERNET / fiber optic ca ble

Ground Radar Output Data:

UAV’s measured position (Distance, Azimuth, Altitude ) in relative position and in absolute position coordinate provided in WGS84 ( Word Geodetic System 1984 used by GPS), UAV’ speed, bearing

GCS order acknowledge - Installation consistency rep ort - Bite report

Input Orders and Information From UAV GCS:

Orders: calibration, operation, maintenance mode – gate

1

Integration

Orders: calibration, operation, maintenance mode – gate- channel (frequency) choice – UAV system clock – coord inate of the6 installation “points: under run, take-off, touch down, threshold, Ground Radar, Ground Beacon

MAGIC ATOL Air Beacon is interfaced to the UAV

� via a standard half duplex RS485 serial data port

very limited exchange of data (on-off, frequency ch annel, bite)

Easy integration with the GCS & RPA host

2

15 /15 /

Air Beacon

Unit

Metallic

MAGIC ATOLS FW typical installation

Easy installation within RPA

Metallic obstacle

free

� 4 bolts & shock absorbers

16 /16 /

ElevationAzimuth

� Reliable and accurate measurement (elevation & azimuth)

� For all kind of runway nature (grass, concrete,

Accurate PositionMeasurement within5 km range

Operational

nature (grass, concrete, asphalt)

� 1 m accuracy in range

� 50 ms refresh time

� less than 100 ms latency

Smooth & continuous accurate measurement

17 /17 /

Long range instantaneous acquisition with a wide field of view

� Wide fix pencil beam (no need to scan), 15 ° in elevation (-5 ° +15°), 20° in azimuth ( ±10°), full specification

� Time to detect, identify, and start angular trackin g of the air vehicle at long range is less than 1 second, and time to start full tracking at middle range is less than 0,5 second

Operational

middle range is less than 0,5 second

� Can isolate up to 5 UAVs simultaneously, select one at 5 km range, and track it up to landing

� Confidence level information is provided during tra cking

� Redundant skin effect & air beacon

Authorize all types of landings

18 /18 /

� Extensive test and evaluation (160 + flights)

� In all conditions

Operational

Operational within WATCHKEEPER Program

� WK : 100+ UK flights

� WK : certified by MoD airworthiness authority

19 /19 /

MAGIC ATOLS RW is dedicated for Rotary Wings UAV to take in account Navy/Army mission specificities:

� Ship movements

� Air platform movements

� Limited spot size and limited over spot security vo lume

� Position measurement refresh rate too slow for (D)G PS and possibly denied

THALES MAGIC ATOLS RW Solution

possibly denied

� Hostile all weather environment

� Unprepared ground spot for army

MAGIC ATOLS RW is successfully used within D2AD (automatic landing and deck landing demonstration) French DGA Program

20 /20 /

2 Ground/Deck Air

� 2 passive small size deck sensors (Deck Sensor Unit) located on the ship deck

� One small size, lightweight, low consumption Deck Be acon (Deck Beacon Unit)

� One small size, lightweight, low consumption Air Bea con (Air Beacon Unit)

� One Guidance Navigation Control station

MAGIC ATOLS RW: description / ship installation example

Air Beacon Unit (ABU)

14 cm x 14 cm x 5 cm

500g 5,5 in x 5,5 in x 2 in

1,1 lbs

2 Ground/Deck Sensors

Ground/Deck Beacon

Guidance Navigation Control station

Air Beacon

21 /21 /

� Two passive deck sensors, automatically calibrated thanks to the deck beacon, measure the UAV’ position thanks to the air beacon transmission

� The Guidance Navigation Control station� receives this measure and the forecasted ship

movements / ship trajectory information � elaborates deck landing strategy and continuously

computes UAV ‘navigation orders (rendez-vous, waiting point, over spot point, touchdown)

)

H ) 35

Touch

Down

MAGIC ATOLS RW Ground/Deck Sensors

H ) 35

Touch

Down

Rendez - Vous

area

Waiting

point

Over Spot

point

MAGIC ATOL SRW Ground/Deck Beacon

MAGIC ATOLS RW: element description

waiting point, over spot point, touchdown)� transmits these orders to UAV (via UAV Control

Station and its associated Command & Control Data Link)

� Ship operation room Officer is the leader to start automatic decking or taking-off phase

Beacon

22 /22 /

� Simple (3 points) ground or deck installation

� Air Beacon Unit is simply installed (bolts & shock absorbers) aboard Air Vehicle in order to be « seen » by the MAGIC RW deck sensors

� MAGIC ATOL RW output data, on a Ethernet link, are the following:

� UAV position in 3 dimensions� UAV speed, bearing

MAGIC ATOLS RW: installation / integration

� UAV speed, bearing� UAV Way Points commands� BITE information

� MAGIC ATOL RW main input orders and information are:

� ON/OFF order� mode (operational, standby, maintenance),� system clock� ship prediction movementsShip Prediction

UAV Control Station

Deck Sensors

Guidance Navigation Control Station

Air Beacon

UAV Data Link

Way points

UAV positionmeasures

UAV legacy systemMAGIC ATOLS RW

Ship Prediction

UAV Control Station

Deck Sensors


Air Beacon

UAV Data Link

Way points


Ship Prediction

UAV Control Station

Deck Sensors


Air Beacon

UAV Data Link

Way points


UAV legacy systemMAGIC ATOLS RW

23 /23 /

� French DGA take –off and deck landing /landing demonstration Program: D2AD

� Late 2010, MAGIC ATOLS RW was integrated within Boeing UMLB system

� 2011 Summer tests were

MAGIC ATOLS RW: D2AD Program

� 2011 Summer tests were successfully performed:

� in Army condition (prepared, or semi prepared area)

� in Navy simulated condition (3 axis motion table, and 15 Knots moving trailer )

� Full scale demonstration (till sea state 5) will take place in 2012 on board French vessel

24 /24 /

MAGIC ATOLS presents numerous advantages

Conclusion / Questions

� Contact : [email protected]

� Alain LEZLA� Tel: +33 (0)5 57 26 75 42

� Mobile: +33 (0)6 80 08 39 63

� [email protected]

thales magic atols

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