Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The AirRobot is a new Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (micro UAV) with autonomous flight and navigation capabilities and modular payloads for use in:

• Reconnaissance;
• Surveillance;
• Search and Rescue;
• Intelligence;
• Documentation;
• Inspection.

The AIRROBOT can go where no other unit can go, providing vital real time information from the air or the ground, keeping personnel out of harms way at the same time.
With the AIRROBOT a new dimension in operational effectiveness and situational awareness is now available to:

• Search and Rescue Teams;
• Fire-fighters;
• Law Enforcement;
• Military;
• Special Operation Forces.

The AIRROBOT offers tremendous reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence capabilities. It provides constant airborne imaging or data transmission while hovering and flying or from the ground while perching. At the same time it keeps personnel out of harms way. With the AIRROBOT's unique autonomous self-positioning and self-stabilizing flight management processor, non-pilot operators can safely operate the AIRROBOT. It is lightweight and ready to deploy within minutes by one operator. With vertical take off and landing capabilities there are no limitations as where to use the unit, even in confined or complex terrain. Almost silent operation avoids escalation of critical situations as well as enabling the unit to be used for stealth surveillance.
Affordable, responsive, easy to operate and simple to learn and use; providing forward observer presence without placing the operator at risk.

Due to its interchangeable payload it can be used for a wide variety of applications:

• Day/night surveillance/reconnaissance/documentation;
• Hover and stare, perch and stare operations;
• Security/early warning;
• Inspection of critical assets like bridges;
• Remote detection of hazardous/radio active materials;
• Transport of small items like walky-talkies for search and rescue.

The flying platform AR 100-b is a vertical take off and landing autonomous micro UAV. Its unique technology allows for fully autonomous stable "hands-off", "hover and stare" operation using GPS or optical position lock. The optical positioning system memorizes the underlying area and keeps the unit in position even in conditions where a GPS signal is not accessible.

The unit is further stabilized with a unique combination of gyroscopic, barometric and magnetic sensors. The AR 100 will maintain its position, direction and flight altitude without operator interference. It is safe to operate at all times. When the unit does not receive any commands it will simply stay in position - even under windy conditions.

A non-pilot operator can achieve safe operation without the skills associated with a pilot.
The AR 100-b can be controlled by the operator using the life video feed. The unit does not have to be in sight, this way the unit is fl own like the operator is sitting in it. This also opens the possibility for remote landing and launch. Used as a ground sensor the AR 100-b still retains the ability to take-off and fl y to another location, or to follow something of interest that is moving.

Key Features

• Auto Position GPS and optical lock
• Auto Stabilization altitude and direction with barometric-, magnetic-, gyroscopic sensors
• Electrical Propulsion 4 maintenance-free, brushless and gearless motors running at 2000-rpm maximum for almost silent operation
• Max Ceiling 3000 ft
• Service Ceiling 450 ft
• Endurance < 20 min
• Max Payload 0.5 lbs
• Payloads User interchangeable without tools, step less tilt mechanism allows for 100 degree remote controlled tilt
• Deployable Radius 1800 ft (limited by video signal)
• Environmental Conditions Sealed electronics and motors capable of operation in rain, salt, fog, sand, dust
• Max Wind Load 5 m/s
• Max Airspeed 25 mph
• Launch/Recovery Vertical take off, landing and recovery
• Autonomous Landing When battery limit is reached or radio communication is lost
• Battery Lithium Polymer 14.2 V 2.05 A, Recharging time 1 h 15 min
• Temperature Range 30oF -115oF, 100% humidity
• Gross Weight 2 lbs
• Diameter 40 inches
• Receiver HF radio transmission

Payloads

The modular payload concept greatly extends the range of applications for the AIRROBOT. From constant airborne video imaging over IR sensors up to measurement and detection of hazardous and radio active materials, the AIRROBOT will accommodate the appropriate sensors.

All payloads can be tilted remote controlled up to 100 degrees. Cameras can look in all directions including straight down. The operator can change all payloads without tools within minutes.

Available Payloads

Daylight colour video camera

• Resolution 480 x 640 px
• Frame Rate: 25 fps PAL, 30 fps NTSC
• Angle of view 70 degrees

The daylight video camera provides real time video feed to the ground station or video glasses. Video can be recorded for documentation with the optional documentation software or external device. The optional software package also allows for capture of still images out of the video feed.

Dawn/ low light black and white camera

• Black and white imaging
• Resolution 570 lines
• Frame Rate 25 fps
• Sensitivity 0.0003 lux
• Angle of view 90 degrees

For surveillance, reconnaissance in low light conditions with life video feed and optional recording for documentation purpose using documentation software. The optional software package also allows for capture of still images out of the video feed.

10 MP Still Camera

• Colour still images 3648 x 2736 px
• Sensitivity up to 800 ASA
• Remote controlled 3x Zoom

Provides high-resolution still images. Images are stored on memory card in the payload. Camera trigger through documentation software based on video feed used as preview.

Infrared camera

• IR thermal image camera 384 x 288 pixel array Response 7-14 μm (filter bandwidth)
• Thermal sensitivity < 50 mK
• Refresh rate real-time 50/60 Hz
• Start-up time < 1 sec.
• Contrast/brightness advanced image processing
• Operating ambient temperature -20° - 50°C
• Automatic electronic iris
• Optic focal length 15 mm, field of view 58,5° x 48,3° x 37,1°
• Focus method manual, temperature stabilized
• For detection of human activity up to 330 feet

Ground Stations

The ground stations contain everything to control the AIRROBOT and to communicate with cameras and sensors installed on the AIRROBOT. Two versions of the ground station are available:

1. Ground Station Standard

With the ground station all functions of the AIRROBOT can be controlled and overseen from a safe location.
Battery status and GPS positions are constantly available. The payloads can be tilted remote controlled.

Contains:

• Radio remote control for flight operation;
• Video receiver security link with 4-fold diversity receiver;
• Video goggles;
• Charger and battery for video receiver;
• Antenna stand;
• Transportation case for AR100 and components.

2. Ground Station with Documentation

The station with documentation capacities in addition allows for recording of video footage including documentation of time and GPS position. Further it enables the operator to capture still images out of the video feed. It also features an orientation by point of the compass and a "home" guidance system, which makes it easy for the operator to steer the unit back to the original location when out of sight.

Contains:

• Radio remote control for flight operation;
• Video receiver security link with 4-fold diversity receiver;
• Video antenna;
• Charger and battery for video receiver;
• Laptop computer;
• AIRROBOT documentation software;
• Antenna stand;
• Transportation case for AR100 and components.

Documentation software

The windows based documentation software displays all relevant data and records all transmitted video footage. All data is filed within a data base and linked to projects which contain time, date and GPS location of the recording. The software also monitors battery status, flight data, distance and GPS position.

Documentation software

The windows based documentation software displays all relevant data and records all transmitted video footage. All data is filed within a data base and linked to projects which contain time, date and GPS location of the recording. The software also monitors battery status, flight data, distance and GPS position.

For better orientation during flight under "out of sight" conditions it has a display of flight direction by point of compass. A backtrack system makes it easy for the operator to steer the unit back to the original location. The user interface is straight forward, all information and controls are available from within one window.

Software Features

• Live video display (including full screen);
• Project-image preview tab;
• Battery status AIRROBOT;
• Battery status laptop computer;
• GPS-signal strenght including readiness;
• GPS data;
• Date and time stamp;
• Compass;
• Backtrack

The software can be used in conjunction with the laptop computer as part of the base station with documentation or it can be installed on a windows computer system which is already mounted in a command centre or vehicle.

Backpack-variant

• A backpack system includes:
• Command-entity BKS-2;
• Power-supply for >5h use;
• TX- and RX-antennas;
• AR100-B, complete UAV Hand control unit.

Hand-controller TFT-SLR

• High-resolution 6,4" (16,25cm) TFT-SLR (Sunlight- Readable) monitor with live-video and On-screen display (OSD);
• Propulsion - nick, roll and yaw on two independence Joy-sticks;
• Controlling of the payload and waypoints over keypad for simple using even in the total darkness (Back lit keys).

Ground-station

Digital command-uplink with custom-specific frequencies;
Analogue order digital video- and telemetry-downlink;
Digital recording in MP4-format on a USB-stick or secondary USB-data carrier device USB-connector for PC;
Radio-free connection through a fibre optic cable is possible.

BKS-2

Possible operating time > 5h with one rechargeable-battery.

Variant tactical-vest

The AirRobot will be transported either in a storm-case or a soft bag. The complete control-unit with hand-controller, BKS-2, antennas and the power-supply can all be carried onto the vest.

AR100-B

• Size: 1m diameter;
• Mass: 1.3 kg;
• V : 10 m/s;
• Max. wind load: 8 m/s;
• Flight-time: ca. 25 min;
• Range: ca. 1.000 m;
• Engine: 4 brushless- and gearless DCmotors;
• Data transmission and control in real-time by radio or fibre optic cable
• Stabilisation;
• Autonomous attitude control;
• Autonomous direction control;
• Autonomous position (GPS or OPS) control.

Available payloads

Daylight-colour-camera:

• CCD-module,PAL- or NTSC-system
• Daylight-colour-camera width duo-lenses:
• Switch able between wide and narrow lens
• Dawn-camera:
• CCD-Module, b/w, 0.0003 lux sensitivity,
• Vario- objective
• IR-thermal-camera HiRes:
• Detection of temperature differences from °C upwards
• Digital-camera with video:
• Colour-still-camera with 10 Mpix Sensor, removable SD-storage

Payloads coming soon

• HD-video-camera;
• Gas sensors;
• Audio sensors.

AR Project-Manager GIS

The telemetry-data, (above), is shown live on the AirRobot ground station and can be tracked on a map in real-time. For GEO-referencing you can use your own maps (Such as TIFFformat). It is also possible to plan GPS waypoints. The data can then be transmitted to the AirRobot UAV.