There are many different kinds and styles of unmanned aerial systems created every year with their own unique take on the build. Since the beginning of the boom of UAS the companies with the best build and highest quality are breaking their way through the market. A few of the brands that stick out of the pack would include the Parrot, DJI, Yuneec, and Kespry. This four companies have a high anticipation for the 2017 market. Many drones are build with a fix wing or quad copter. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Comapny XXXX has asked to be consulted on what type of platform to purchase to do volumetrics on a sand mine in Western Wisconsin. This can be a daunting task due to the amount of variability out there. Therefore, getting the details of the project will be the first step. The company want to be able to use a UAS to determine the amount of volume within a sand pile which will take roughly 20-30 minutes of flight time. Therefore this report will be going into details of a low level/hobbyist drone, mid level, and upper level commercial drone. For this report a low level drone costs $500-3000, a mid level cost $5000-10000, and a high level commercial costs $50,000 - 150,000.
Low Level
The low level drone picked for this project would be the DJI Phantom 3. The DJI Phantom 3 has four different models that can currently be purchased between $500-$999. This includes the Standard, 4k, Advanced, and Professional. The standard was created for people on a budget and released after the Advanced and professional models were already created. The standard does not have the 4k video capability, and the Phantom 3 standard comes with a 2.7k video or 720p. This also uses the Panasonic image sensor instead of the Sony Exmor R sensor which comes on the more expensive models of the DJI Phantom 3 Advance, 4k, and professional models. The control made for the standered model comes with a control that looks like the one from the DJI Phantom 2 and does not have an easy way to mount an Ipad to the controller. It also does not have any custom buttons and does not have any dedicated buttons for the video playback.
The 4k DJI Phantom was realeased with the capability of 4K playback, and has the more expensive controller allowing it to easily connect to an Ipad or Iphone. It also has all the capabilities of the standard model.
The Phantom 3 Advanced was part of the first release with the DJI Phantom 3's. This model does not have 4k video and therefor uses the same camera as the standard model. The difference between this model and the two listed above is that this uses a technology called Lightbridge. This technology offers a more dependable video and control signal. With the Lightbridge technology the DJI Phantom 3 Advance can travel up to 5000m or 3.1 miles from the pilot. This is 4.1 times farther than the phantom 3 4k and it is 5 times farther than the standard model. Therefore even though this model does not have the 4k video is comes with more impressive technology allowing greater control over the drone. The Advance also has 720p play back to the streaming goggles compared to the 480p in the two listed above.
The last DJI Phantom 3 model is the professional model. This model also includes the 4k camera, 720p playback, and Lightbridge GPS technology. The difference with this model is that it comes with a 100W charge with allows the professional model to be charged in less than an hour compared to all the others which take up to an hour and twenty minutes. This is the most expensive of the models at $999, but has great reviews at the low level tier.
All the models also allow the user to create a point of interest which the Phantom 3 will continuously face it as the user flys or by circling around the object. It can also be programmed to follow the user as a 'personal film crew.' it can also be programmed with flight paths, and has intelligent orientation control allowing the user to use the easiest mode to fly with. The DJI Phantom 3 also has LED lights which indicate the battery level. Parts are easy to order from the DJI Store and reviews suggest that the DJI is not hard to fix when parts break as well.
Figure 1: The video above explains how to set up and get started with the DJI Phantom 3 Professional. It goes over the app used on the Iphone and how to use the controls with the device.
Mid Level
The Freefly Systems Alta 6 UAV costs $11,995.00, which is slightly over budget for the mid level, but this is a very impressive drone. It is made with 8 motors, allows the user to use a 9.1kg payload to allow expensive cameras to be mounted onto the platform. This Drone also allows the user to put the camera on top or on the bottom depending on the needs of the drone. This drone comes with Freefly's own flight control systems and it also works with a range of different transmitters so when upgrading to this drone there may not be a need to buy a new controller.
The flights modes that can be used with this drone include manual, height hold, climb rate control, position hold, ground speed control, return-to-home, and auto-l;and. This drone also works with first person video systems. The freefly ALTA has a very robust hard case. To take out the drone just unfold and put the battery in and it is ready to go.
The system comes with weather-resistant electronics and has a silent drive technology built into the motors. This drone can fly up to a mile away, but it can be more depending on the weight. The sensor used on this drone is up to the user since it can be attached using the gimble. The flight time on this drone is around 40 minutes.
This drone is great for users that want to get unique angles and carry high end cameras that weigh more than the average drone can carry.
Figure 2: The video above shows the Freefly Systems Alta 6 UAV. This offers some video of the unboxing and review of the system.
High Level
The Penguin B Platform made by UAV System Integrators. This platform currently holds the world record for endurance at 54.4 hours of flying time. It has a fuel injected engine that allows the Penguin B to fly up to 20+ hours for normal use. It can also carry a 10kg payload, and has a 80W on-board generator. The Penguin B has been sold since 2009 and has over 140 different customization. This drone is mostly used with research organizations and universities due to the price and the customization that can be done to fit the research being conducted.
The Penguin B Platform is a fixed-wing UAV which is why it has such a longer flight time, and also gives it the ability to have such a large payload. This platform is shot into the air using a catapult, car-top, or runway take off to give the platform enough velocity to keep it in the air.
This drone comes with free Piccolo autopilot configuration files and comes with a four day integrator training. This UAV flies at speeds up to 36m/s, but the general cruise speed is 22 m/s. It also comes with the ability to deice the wings with its heated pitot probe. It comes with quick release joints which allow fast and quick assembly. the Penguin B has the option to have heavy duty land gear to land on rough terrain. The platform also comes with the portable control station which is compatible with Cloud Cap Piccolo, Procerus Technologies Kestrel, Micropilot autopilot systems. This platform can carry any type of sensor as long as it fits into the universal mount on the drone.
This is a highly advanced UAV that comes with over 140 different customization, and if needed the company can also come up with different ones for different needs that may not have been met yet.
Figure 3: This video shows a take off and landing from a car mount for the Penguin B UAV.
Conclusion
The best option for the project at hand would be the DJI Phantom 3 Advanced model. This one was chosen because of the price point and capabilities. It matches the amount of flight time needed. It has a camera that has a high enough resolution to use for calculations. It also has the ability for other projects as well.
