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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Qi3 Contact Details

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Robin Higgons

Qi3 Ltd

St John's Innovation Centre,

Cowley Road,

Cambridge, CB4 0WS,

Tel: +44 (0)1223 422404

Email: robin.higgons@qi3.co.uk

Web site: www.qi3.co.uk