UAS Sensor Placement

Sensor placement is a critical design decision that is based on the objective that an unmanned system will be tasked to perform. For this assignment, I had to choose two commercial UASs that are currently available for purchase. One will be utilized to provide aerial photography services to include full motion video and still pictures below 400 feet Above Ground Level (AGL). The second UAS will be used as a First Person View (FPV) to compete on a racing circuit. 

  

For anyone that is looking for a UAV to provide aerial photography services like those described in the directions above, the Cadillac aircraft for this has got to be the DJI Inspire 1.  

First and foremost on this aircraft is the top of the line camera that can run at up to 30 frames per second (FPS) in 4k mode, or up to 60 FPS in 1080p HD.  This camera can also shoot 12 Megapixel still images too.  The camera mounts to the aircraft on a 3-axis 360 degree rotating gimbal.  

The developers of the Inspire wanted to maximize the ability of the gimbal, and so they designed the aircraft to drop the body (and therefore the belly mounted gimbal and camera) after takeoff (Figure 2).  This raised the quad’s landing gear well above the field of view of the camera to truly provide unobstructed views.  

To assist the quad in maneuvering, the aircraft has a combined sonar and visual sensor installed on the bottom to provide motion cues for the aircraft to aid in stabilizing the aircraft (See Figure 3).  One limit on the system is that at this time, the standard camera doesn’t offer a zoom.  Additionally, the aircraft also only has a flight time of 18 minutes, thus limiting any extended videos (Inspire 1, n.d.). 

Next, there are plenty of options for first person view (FPV) quadcopters for racing.  I picked the Walker Runner 250 Advance, which is a higher end copter with a decent amount of durability and a modular design that lends itself to quick repairs due to the inevitable crashes that will occur.  This quad comes with a 1080p/60 FPS camera, providing some of the clearest video possible (Drone, n.d).  

The camera is located directly below the “bumper” on the front of the aircraft. This provides the maximum view to the operator (110 degrees field of view), while still providing a level of protection.  

An optional camera (like a GoPro) can also be installed on the top of the platform.  

One of the key features of this model over previous Runner 250s is the GPS system, providing “return to home” and “altitude hold” functions for increased stability (Dronewallah, 2015).

References:

- Drone, Quadcopter, Multi rotor, Quadricopter, Multirotor, Drone. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2015, from http://quadsforfun.wix.com/quadsforfun#!walkera-runner-250--runner-250-advance/c1ypr

- Dronewallah. (2015, August 27). Walkera Runner 250 Advance gets a GPS update! - rcDroneArena. Retrieved November 7, 2015, from http://www.rcdronearena.com/2015/08/28/walkera-runner-250-advance-gps-cheap/

- Inspire 1 - Everything you need for aerial filmmaking | DJI. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2015, from http://www.dji.com/product/inspire-1