UAS Use in Agriculture

The agriculture industry is one that has always evolved to keep pace with modern technology.  Precision agriculture is the latest term that is now being used to define the farmers that are embracing various forms of technology to increase their crop yield.  The first wave of technological influence has been driverless tractors that have replaced manually operated versions.  Prior to tractors, farmers used horse-drawn machinery and before that manually operated tillers and other tools.  Farmers are now embracing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as the latest technological advancement to better understand crop health while collecting vital data.  Small drones will hover from plant to plant, dropping just enough fertilizer or spraying exactly the right amount of pesticide (Dobbs, 2013).  Although this technology would seem to hold great promise for farmers and agribusinesses alike, there is little evidence to support that its flight path is on course (Bedford, 2015).

Understanding the benefits of UAS in agriculture can be done through various means of collecting, analyzing, and verifying data.  With the launch of a project at the University’s Carrington Research Extension Center (CREC) in 2014, researchers evaluated the usefulness and effectiveness of UAS in crop and livestock management (Bedord, 2015).  The following objectives were identified during the study:

1.     Identify plant emergence and plant populations in corn, soybeans, and sunflower.

2.     Identify any nitrogen deficiencies in corn and wheat.

3.     Assess early plant health.

4.     Know disease symptoms.

5.     Look for insect damage symptoms.

6.     Monitor weed infestations.

7.     Notice moisture stress on irrigated crops.

8.     Note the impacts of tillage and crop rotations.

9.     Determine the breeding activity for herd sires and beef females.

10.  Take the temperature of animals and the feedlot surface temperatures of various beddings.

11.  Detect diseased beef animals in pastures.

12.  Identify animals with extreme dispositions.

(Beford, 2015)

All of these objectives identify areas of agriculture that can benefit from UAS technology.  While most of the results came back positive with noticeable benefit to UAS use some of the results are still outstanding or require additional technological development.  This sort of incremental technology has been well-received in the agricultural community, where margins are traditionally so tight that tractors which stray from their course by just six inches can noticeably cut into profits (Dobbs, 2013).

            As farming has evolved from manual machines, horse-drawn, tractor, automated tractor, and now UAS, the reduction in manual labor has drastically decreased.  However, this technology has yet to reach the mainstream.  These new tools, though promising, aren’t ready for widespread adoption. Most farms—faced with wide-ranging, expensive, and constantly changing arrays of options—have been slow to buy in or unable to take full advantage (Dobbs, 2013).  The future of farming is certain to look different compared to its early methods with the adoption and use of UAS. 
           

Bedord, L. (2015, December 18). 12 Potential Uses for UAS in Agriculture.  Successful Farming.  Retrieved from https://www.agriculture.com/technology/robotics/uas/12-potential-uses-f-uas-in-agriculture_587-ar51680.

Dobbs, T.  (2013, July 9).  Farms of the Future Will Run on Robots and Drones.  Nova Next.  Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/farming-with-robotics-automation-and-sensors/.

UAS vs. Manned License Discussion

         One of the major issues regarding integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace (NAS) is determining the correct level of license required for commercial operations.  For the purpose of this discussion I will focus on the commercial requirement which would allow an individual to operate a UAS within certain parameters in the NAS for business purposes.  According to the FAA, There are three ways to fly a UAS for work, business, or non-recreational reasons:

• Following the requirements in the Small UAS rule (Part 107)
• Following the rules in your Section 333 grant of exemption
• Obtain an airworthiness certificate for the aircraft

(FAA, n.d.)

I won’t go into the methods in which a person must navigate each of those procedures but I do want to highlight the difference between the requirements to operate a UAS for business purposes and the requirements necessary for operating a manned aircraft in a commercial manner. 

Two factors basically render a flight (manned) commercial: carriage of passengers (or cargo) and compensation (Wieand, 2016).  There are a multitude of Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) that govern how individuals will operate aircraft in commercial operations.  Typically they are broken down into specific “Parts” (91, 121, 135).  In a very simplified manner, the pilot must have a commercial pilot license at a minimum and most often have a charter certificate (air carrier certificate) in order to operate for income.   Essentially, while it’s reasonable to assume you’ll be careful flying yourself around, the FAA considers Part 135 rules necessary to ensure that people in the business of providing air transportation will exercise special care to ensure passenger safety (Wieand, 2016).  The cost to obtain a commercial pilot license can be quite expensive and the time it takes to obtain the skillset is a tremendous commitment and investment.  It starts out with a private pilot license that costs about $8,000 dollars, then you get your instrument rating, so that you can fly into clouds, and that’s another five or six grand (Greene, 2014).  Most pilots report spending close to $100,000 in order to get all of the required licenses necessary to operate an aircraft for air transport.  At the very minimum (i.e. banner carrying Cessna), a pilot will spend close to $20,000 and a minimum of 6 months in order to have the right certifications.  Not to mention, they must maintain a medical certificate.

The purpose of this entire discussion is simply to point out that the commercial manned pilot has a tremendous amount of time and money invested in their tradecraft.  They are highly motivated to operate within the rules and regulations of the FAA.  There are plenty of examples of folks who haven’t, and the FAA is never afraid to take action and remove certificates for bad decisions.  Now, as we compare that to the UAS industry, the difference is tremendous.  Someone who has a couple thousand dollars invested in the licenses, certificates, and requirements listed above doesn’t have the same motivation to ensure they are following the proper procedures.  The risk versus reward can be easily skewed.  Say for instance a business is willing to pay you $5,000 to conduct UAS photography over an area that you know is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR).  Your total investment is only a few thousand dollars at most so your reward is far greater than the risk.

UAS don’t have passengers so the stance that the regulation keeps passenger safe becomes mute.  However, UAS do fall from the sky when not operated correctly and I don’t care if it is 20 pounds, or 2,000 pounds, an object falling from the sky can cause irreparable damage and death.       

FAA (n.d.). Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions.  Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/

Greene, L. (2014, November 21). So You Want to Be a Pilot: What It Costs And How Much You’ll Make.  Billfold.  Retrieved from https://www.thebillfold.com/2014/11/so-you-want-to-be-a-pilot-what-it-costs-and-how-much-youll-make/

Wieand, J. (2016, February). The Rules of the Game; Business Jet Traveller.  Retrieved from https://www.bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/the-rules-of-the-game

Military to Civilian UAS Applications

Military applications often bleed over to the civilian market place where they are used for commercial applications.  The MQ-9 Predator B has been in military use for numerous years with great success and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have implemented this aircraft in the protection of domestic borders.  While this example technically represents a transition from military to civilian, let’s explore even deeper by reviewing a new proposal the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is soliciting to re-design their technological advantage and how that can translate into an emerging civilian sector technology.
     
It is quite well known that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for quite some time with limited success and a robust cry from the public due to exorbitant cost.    The use of drones has been criticized by government auditors as costing too much — about $60 million a year — and producing too little, less than 2 percent of all apprehensions and drug arrests by the Border Patrol (Nixon, 2016).  The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) currently being utilized is the MQ-9 Predator B.  An audit of the drone program, performed by Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and released last year, suggested that money spent on the drone program could be used better on ground-based sensors and radar towers than on drones, which cost nearly $20 million each and $12,255 an hour to operate (Nixon, 2016).  While these aircraft have proven their worth in the defense of our nation overseas for numerous years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify the program.  Therefore, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is looking for Small UAS (sUAS) to fill a niche market for serving their mission and reducing their cost.

Various sUAS manufacturers have made great strides over the last couple of years with technological advancements that allow for sense/avoid, increased payload capability, increased endurance, etc.  These advancements have paved the way for sUAS to take on large roles in both military and civilian applications.  The agency (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) is currently soliciting proposals for small unmanned aerial systems, similar to consumer drones manufactured by DJI and Parrot, to be deployed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the field (Brandom, 2017).  The obvious cost savings over the Predator would be tremendous with a limited reduction in capability.  The crafts would also be outfitted with sophisticated sensors, which may include infrared cameras and facial-recognition capabilities (Brandom, 2017).  As this technology is developed, implemented, and refined it can easily find a commercial use case in the civilian market place.

Amazon and UPS are both working on methods in which to deliver packages via UAS.  While these companies focus mostly on the delivery vehicle, platform and method, they neglect to see how technology can also enhance their service.  Recently, UPS did trial deliveries of packages.  When the UPS driver approached the intended home for delivery, she parked the car, and then launched the drone from its roof (Vanian, 2017). From there, the drone flew to the home based on a pre-programmed flight path, dropped off the package held inside a small cage, and then flew off to rendezvous back with the van—which had since been driven to a spot miles away (Vanian, 2017).  While this method works well for delivering packages that don’t require a signature or delivery confirmation, it leaves open the opportunity for package theft.  A nefarious individual will easily take note of a UAV approaching and departing a particular home.  However, with the requirements posted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection the technology may be able to eventually leverage facial recognition in order to confirm package recipient.  The test was intended to show that UPS drivers could eventually use drones to handle more deliveries than they would otherwise be able to do using the traditional method of going house-to-house by truck (Vanian, 2017).

Technological advancement is often driven by military as they set the requirements and can demand the research & development.  The need for the product drives companies to produce products that would otherwise never be developed due to a lack of demand for commercial use.  However, once the product transitions through its developmental cycle the public becomes aware and finds creative means to implement the products in innovative uses. 

Brandom, R. (2017, April 6).  The US Border Patrol is trying to build face-reading drones. The Verge.  Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/6/15208820/customs-border-patrol-drone-facial-recognition-silicon-valley-dhs.

Nixon, R. (2016, November 2).  Drones, So Useful in War, May Be Too Costly for Border Duty. The New York Times.  Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/us/drones-canadian-border.html.

Vanian, J. (2017, February 21). UPS Has a New Trick to Make Drone Deliveries a Reality.  Fortune.  Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2017/02/21/ups-drone-deliveries-florida/.

Collision Avoidance System by Aerialtronics

Sense and avoid is key tool in the integration of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS).  Incorporating sensor technology on sUAS is incredibly challenging as the overall vehicle weight is typically less than 55 lbs.  Therefore, it is difficult to integrate an exteroceptive sensor that is capable of detecting, sensing, processing, reacting, and avoiding potential threats.  The power requirement and associated proprioceptive sensory equipment necessary to properly design a system most often requires larger vehicles with more capability.  Larger UAS have a larger electrical design infrastructure and can incorporate a variety of sensors to develop an overall sense and avoid solution.  Optical sensors, LiDAR, and Air-to-Air Radar Subsystems (AARSS) are all examples of sensory equipment used on large UAS. 

Aerialtronics has developed a new Collision Avoidance System (CAS) that utilizes a virtual sensor that can build a map of potential obstacles.  The Aerialtronics CAS will be capable of ultra-quick real-time scanning of the Altura multirotor surroundings and detecting obstacles within a predefined safe distance (sUAS News, 2014).  The Aerialtronics product is a plug and play solution that is easily installed in minutes.  This added feature decreases the risk of collision when inspecting telecommunication towers, utility poles and oil rigs, particularly in windy conditions.  Aerialtronics’ sense and avoid solution detects both static and moving objects up to 15 metres away and the four sensors mean the Altura Zenith can locate objects up to a 360° field of view (Aerialtronics, 2015). 

The Zenith with CAS installed relies on ultrasonic technology that determines distance from an object based on how long it takes for a released sound to return.  The operator can specify the safe distance by selecting different modes.  CAS will consist of several unique technologies including various types of state of the art obstacle detection sensors, advanced data fusion algorithms as well as tightly integrated collision avoidance algorithms with guidance, navigation and control system (sUAS News, 2014).  The sensor has two ultrasonic sensors mounted at the end of flexible shaft.  The shaft firmly screws into each end of the quadcopter.  A full 360 degree solution will have four shafts protruding from each arm of the quadcopter. 

  

Aerialtronics plans to take their sense and avoid solution one step further than onboard sensors.  By combining the data from the CAS system with the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), Aerialtronics will build a complete picture of the surroundings the vehicle is operating in.  This integration is an important step to combine ground based sensory with airborne sensory for a refined air picture.  By connecting ITS data to CAS, Altura systems will be capable of foreseeing danger and responding in a timelier manner, ultimately making airspace safer and more accessible (sUAS News, 2014).

sUAS integration into the NAS will require a sense and avoid solution that will bring confidence to the public in regards to safe and responsible operations.  The CAS solution proposed by Aerialtronics combined with ITS will create an air picture that allows the aircraft to operate seamlessly within a fluid environment.      

Aerialtronics (2015, February 2).  Aerialtronics Adds Sense and Avoid Technology to Zenith UAS.  Retrieved from http://www.aerialtronics.com/2016/02/aerialtronics-adds-sense-and-avoid-technology-to-zenith-uas/

sUAS News (2014, September 2).   Aerialtronics Improves Safety by Incorporating Sense and Avoid.  Retrieved from  http://www.suasnews.com/2014/09/aerialtronics-revolutionarily-improves-safety-by-incorporating-sense-and-avoid/

Bluefin-21 Data Display and Presentation

6.4 - Research Assignment: Control Station Analysis
By
Chris Bennett

General Dynamics purchased Bluefin robotics, a manufacturer of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) in February of 2016.  Bluefin has a fleet of UUVs that have a multitude of uses for undersea missions for both commercial and military applications.  Most of the UUV vehicles are known as Bluefin-X with differentiation based on the overall size and sensor capability.  The Bluefin-9 is the smallest and lightest vehicle whereas the Bluefin-21 is much larger and has the ability to carry more sensory options and payloads.  

For an operator of an UUV it is important to understand the data depiction and presentation strategy of that vehicle.  The Bluefin suite of vehicles utilize an Operator Tool Suite to control their vehicle and display data.  Bluefin’s Operator Tool Suite is a comprehensive software package that provides the interface between the vehicle and the operator for all mission phases (General Dynamics, n.d.).  The Operator Tool Suite is broken into three distinct areas: Mission Planner, Dashboard, and Lantern.  This Windows-based tool suite includes everything necessary to run and manage the system, including vehicle check-out and testing, mission planning, vehicle communications, mission monitoring and execution, data management, and post-mission analysis (General Dynamics, n.d.).

Mission planning is one of the most vital tools necessary as part of the data depiction and presentation strategy of a UUV.  Getting the vehicle safely to and from the target area is vitally important and without consistent radio signals between the ground station and the vehicle, it is important that the mission plan be mitigated prior to mission execution on a UUV.  Mission planning and verification is done via simple to use “widgets”.  Planning takes place on top of a chart-based view which accepts raster or digital charts (General Dynamics, n.d.).  The operator can input safety criteria in addition to operational constraints, and decision points that will recover the vehicle if it isn’t performing as expected.

The Bluefin Dashboard is an intuitive design for vehicle testing, checkout, and mission monitoring.  Dashboard tools enable the operator to track vehicles against a chart-based interface which includes ship position indicators, mission plans, and a variety of operator-specified annotations (General Dynamics, n.d.).  A variety of sensors display telemetry data from the Bluefin to the Dashboard which enables the operator to monitor the vehicle status.  The fastest return link from the Bluefin is automatically selected through the dashboard to relay data.

Lantern is the interface that allows the operator the ability to conduct post-mission analysis.  Lantern has the ability to operate efficiently with other available software components for mission analyzation.  It combines survey tracklines, vehicle data, contact locations, and user-entered annotations in straightforward chart-based windows (General Dynamics, n.d.).  Lastly, normal zoom, and accurate geo-referenced coordinate data can be gathered by manipulating the Lantern tools.
Bluefin-21 was utilized during the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and suffered numerous setbacks, most characterized as “communication issues”.  Another fault was found that the vehicle reached its maximum depth of 4,500 meters and was then forced to surface.  Without further details on that particular event, it is difficult to offer recommendations on either situation.  In most cases, UUVs benefit from a tethered cable that will allow operators to oversee the mission in live time.

Because of the dispersing action of water, it is incredibly difficult to maintain reliable communications between a ground station and vehicle.  In open waters, with little chance of obstacles, a tether would allow data to be received instantaneously from the vehicle.  Additionally, live video feed and telemetry data from the sensors can be interpreted by an operator utilizing the Lantern software.  It doesn’t appear that the dashboard is operator intuitive and lacks the typical “caution” (yellow) and “warning” (red) readout display most often found in aircraft design.  By integrating standard markings, the operator can be given warnings as the vehicle approaches specific limits (i.e. yellow-caution at 3,900 meters, red-warning at 4,200 meters).  This change would allow an operator to possibly intervene prior to the vehicle exceeding its operational limit of 4,500 meters and subsequently being forced to surface.

The Bluefin suite of vehicles are a well-designed UUV concept that use simple Windows based software to display and interpret data from the underwater vehicle.  By applying caution and warning design considerations used in most aircraft, the display indications can become more refined and intuitive for an operator to perform the vehicle mission with greater success.

REFERENCES
General Dynamics (n.d.).  Operator Software; Bluefin Robotics.  Retrieved from http://www.bluefinrobotics.com/technology/operator-software/

Insitu ScanEagle

The Insitu ScanEagle, built by Insitu, and now in partnership with Boeing Corporation, is a simplistic Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) with a basic approach to design.  The 10 foot wingspan, 4 foot length, and 44 pound max gross weight places this UAS in the Group 2 (Medium) category.  With a speed of 75 knots and a maximum endurance of 19,500 feet the Scan Eagle is a competent aircraft that has logged over 22,000 operational hours in support of OIF.

 

The exteroceptive sensor chosen for the ScanEagle is a Sensor Turret System housing an advanced Electro-Optical (EO) Camera and Infrared (IR) camera.  The EO camera is capable of streaming color video at a 25:1 optical zoom with image stabilization.  The uncooled IR camera utilizes long-wavelength technology with an 18 degree field of view that captures images at 30 frames per second.  The IR camera is also image stabilized. The video feed (which is in NTSC format) can be displayed on a monitor and/or recorded onto the hard disk onboard the Ground Control System (GCS) (Lim, 2007).  Additional sensors include chemical/biological sensors, magnetometer, and a laser designating system.

ScanEagle has completed additional testing with another crucial exteroceptive sensor to increase its capability.  The fitting of Signature Aperture Radar (SAR) to the Boeing ScanEagle was done in partnership with ImSAR and Insitu and was no mean feat - the NanoSAR is a 2-pound system approximately the size of a shoebox (Hanlon, 2008). Beyond its military role, SAR significantly extends the capabilities of a UAV, enabling it to be more effectively used for such diverse applications as search and rescue in adverse conditions, fire line location and tracking through smoke, iceberg detection, ice pack analysis and the detection of debris or oils spills on the ocean or other bodies of water (Hanlon, 2008).  This initial test with this additional sensor capability greatly increases the usefulness of ScanEagle.   The testing to date has seen the ScanEagle collect data on an onboard 32 GB solid state drive with the imagery later created on the ground (Hanlon, 2008). 

  

The ScanEagle uses a flight computer for its most crucial “brain power”.  This proprioceptive sensor is crucial to maintaining stabilized flight parameters.  The design of the ScanEagle is based on flight path control, not operator flight control (Wilke, 2007). In the Scan Eagle, it uses a Technologic Systems, TS 5700 PC 104 Embedded Single Board Computer with a 133 MHz AMD 586 Processor (Lim, 2007).  Other proprioceptive sensors, such as a Navtech GPS receiver system, deliver vital information to the flight computer in order for the Scan Eagle to fly to various waypoints, orbits, or complete object tracking.  These sensors also allow for automatic and manual control modes for the Sensor Turret System.   The unit, which contains solid-state gyros and accelerometers, magnetometer, GPS receiver and air data pressure transducers, provides attitude and heading measurement to high accuracy (ScanEagle, n.d.).      

Data dissemination is available through various standard formats and can include video with synched metadata, snapshots, or cursor-on-target information (Wilke, 2007).  The partnership between Boeing and Insitu has allowed more capability in systems configuration tracking.  Data exploitation is enhanced by utilizing Sarnoff’s TerraSight system (Wilke, 2007).  ScanEagle has a 900MHz UHF datalink and a 2.4GHz S-band downlink for video transmission (ScanEagle, n.d.).  Data collection is contained within the GCS and can also be removed as needed. 

Hanlon, M. (208, March 18).  ScanEagle UAV gets Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR); New Atlas.  Retrieved from http://newatlas.com/scaneagle-uav-gets-synthetic-aperture-radar-sar/9007/

Lim, H. (2007, December).  Network Payload Integration for the Scan-Eagle UAV; Naval Post Graduate School.  Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a475874.pdf

ScanEagle (n.d.).  ScanEagle, United States of America; Naval-Technology of America.  Retrieved from http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/scaneagle-uav/

Wilke, C. (2007, March 2).  Scan Eagle Overview; SAE Aerospace Control and Guidance Systems Committee.  Retrieved from http://www.csdy.umn.edu/acgsc/Meeting_99/SubcommitteeE/SEpubrlsSAE.PDF

Commercial Off the Shelf Unmanned Systems and Sensor Placement Considerations

The current availability of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) vehicles that provide an advanced capability for both Full Motion Video (FMV) and still camera exteroceptive sensory is somewhat stagnant as this emerging market has yet to find it’s full market share.  The ability of these COTS vehicles to deliver amazing photography capability is without a doubt a tremendous advantage over traditional photography.  However, this emerging market continues to struggle with legal implications of operating Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS), which divides the vehicles into a toy based and semi-professional divide.  One of the best designed vehicles on the market that incorporates a well-designed sensor suite is the DJI Inspire 1.

Sensor placement in a UAS is a vital consideration of the design.  When incorporating exterior cameras the engineering team must consider the implications that external surfaces play as part of the design criteria.  Items like propellers, landing gear, antennas, and other exterior surfaces can suddenly obstruct the view of the camera.  The Inspire 1 is an out-of-the-box COTS solution for someone interested in performing still photography or FMV below 400 feet.  For approximately, $3,000 the user can immediately begin flying and filming at 4K quality.  The DJI also has an option to add a second controller which allows a sensor operator to focus entirely on the task of performing video or photography.  Meanwhile, the pilot or operator, can focus on safely and responsibly maneuvering the vehicle as necessary for high quality shots.  There are a host of more costly and capable vehicles that eclipse the Inspire 1 as there are many more that are less costly/capable.  The Inspire 1 fits nice between the phantom 2 and the s-900 as a middle ground for those doing work for clients (Oneal, 2014).  The DJI Inspire 1 fills the niche of a semi-professional vehicle quite nicely and does so with little to no competition in that particular price range.  With the phantom 1 and 2 all over the news, many people (the public) might think it’s a toy (Oneal, 2014).

The overall design of the DJI Inspire 1 is, well, “inspiring”.  The company has done a fine job of designing a platform of exteroceptive and proprioceptive sensors that function well without interference or interruption.  Most other vehicles, for instance, have issues when performing FMV or photography of only having a certain section of available clear view.  Due to the design placement of the exteroceptive camera coupled with retractable landing gear, the Inspire 1 has unobstructed viewing area from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).  It produces high-definition, 4k, 360-degree aerial video that streams back to the device in real time (French, 2014). 

It seems almost cliché to continue reviewing the DJI Inspire 1 as the most well designed vehicle on the COTS market but with little to no competition in its market share one doesn’t have other options.  The overall design of the vehicle coupled with great thought placed into its structure and proprioceptive sensors it is difficult to argue any other vehicle as a reasonable replacement.   

A First Person View (FPV) racer utilizes a forward camera on board the UAV that transmits live images back to the pilot on the ground that is controlling the vehicle.  This gives the ground based pilot the sensation of actually flying on the aircraft.  Overlays are available depending on the proprioceptive sensors on board the vehicle that can relay critical performance feedback to the pilot in a Heads Up Display (HUD) orientation; much like a real aircraft.  As someone who has flown actual aircraft and FPV racers, I can tell you that one of the most critical proprioceptive sensors to have integrated into the design is an Internal Navigation System (INS)/Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled with a smart flight controller that provides stabilized flight parameters when the pilot loses situational awareness; a phenomenon fairly common when operating FPV. 

One currently available FPV is the ARRIS X-Speed 250 Pure Carbon Fiber FPV Racing Quadcopter.  This well designed COTS is a suitable option when considering a FPV racer.  One of the considerations of the FPV is the vibration seen through the camera as this exteroceptive sensor is mounted inside the frame of the vehicle to protect it during takeoff, landing, or crashing.  The X-Speed has a vibration damper plate on the upper and lower frame that filters the vibration effectively.  Other FPV manufacturers mount the camera in only one position.  A feature of the ARRIS X-SPEED is the angle of the FPV camera is adjustable. The angle adjustable range is 0 to 20 degree. (pitch up) (Hobby Wing, n.d.).  This feature allows the pilot to adjust the forward looking view based on their preference. 

Antenna on this vehicle are mounted above the frame as there are no landing gear to provide clearance for the vehicle.  It lands on its frame as a normal part of operation.  The upper omni antenna allows the vehicle to transmit reliable signal strength to the pilot without interruption.  The antenna is meant to separate from the vehicle in the event of a hard landing or crash in order to minimize the chance that it can be critically damaged. 

Overall, the X-Speed 250 is similar to other FPV racer UAS that are on the market but it has had a few minor improvements in order to make it a more capable vehicle.  Arris has done a fine job of designing a FPV racer that meets the needs of the pilot and provides a satisfying flying experience for the novice operator. 

French, S. (2014, November 13).  DJI’s Newest Drone, Inspire 1 with 3-Axis Gimbal and Retractable Landing Gear; The Drone Girl.  Retrieved from http://thedronegirl.com/2014/11/13/djis-newest-drone-inspire-1-with-3-axis-gimbal-and-retractable-landing-gear/.

Hobby Wing (n.d.).  ARRIS X-Speed 250 Pure Carbon Fiber FPV Racing Quadcopter.  Retrieved from http://hobby-wing.com/arris-xsp250-racing-quadcopter.html.

Oneal, D. (2014, November 13).  Thoughts on the DJI Inspire; That Drone Show.  Retrieved from http://www.thatdroneshow.com/thoughts-dji-inspire/.