FAQ

Do sunlight or sunlight reflections affect the operation of UAVLAS system?

UAVLAS landing systems are designed to operate in a certain frequency spectrum and time intervals, so system’s performance is not affected by sunlight or reflections. Analog and digital signal processing (DSP) filtering system effectively filters out noise and constant light in the infrared range. This ensures that the system can operate effectively and accurately under a wide range of environmental conditions, including those with bright sunlight or reflections. It is always recommended to consult with us or a qualified expert for specific details on the performance of the system and any recommended operating conditions.

Can UAVLAS system work at night?

Yes. The UAVLAS system can work at night. That is because the system illuminates the infrared signal, so it is not affected by ambient light conditions. The system uses infrared light emitting diodes to send signals to the receiver on the drone, and the receiver detects the infrared signal to determine the precise position of the landing area. Therefore, the UAVLAS system can operate effectively evn in low light or dark conditions, making it a versatile and reliable option for night operations.

Do vehicle vibrations affect the operation of the system?

No. Unlike camera-based systems where vibrations can cause blurring, the UAVLAS systems are designed to be resilient to strong vibrations and sharp maneuvers of the aircraft. Physically, the system is invariant to the orientation of the receiver in its field of view. This means that the UAVLAS system can still provide accurate readings even in the presence of significant vibrations and movements of the aircraft. The fact that the system is not affected by vibrations and maneuvers is an important advantage, especially for industrial and military applications where the UAV may be required to operate in challenging environments.

At what distance can the system operate?

The distance of confident operation depends on the type of system. For example, at the moment for ULS-XCopter type systems, the range is currently at least 20 m. Conceptually, our technology allows for much longer ranges - please contact us if you need them. For technical specifications, please refer to the corresponding sections of the documentation.

What is the operating angle of your system?

The viewing angle differs depending on the type of system. For example, the ULS-XCopter type system has a viewing angle of 90 degrees for the Lighthouse and 90 degrees for the Receiver, respectively. For technical specifications, please refer to the corresponding sections of the documentation.

How accurate is the UAVLAS system?

The system relies on angle data received from the transmitter, and that the maximum error in measuring the system position changes in proportion to the distance from the transmitter to the receiver. For example, at a distance of 0.5 meters, the maximum error is estimated to be 2-3 centimeters for ULS-XCopter. To get information about the uncertainty at different distances see deviation chart. For technical specifications, please refer to the corresponding sections of the documentation.

How will the system behave in case of an obstacle in the field of view?

The system is not affected by objects in the field of view of the system, provided that there is a line of sight between the photosensitive zone of the receiver and the transmitter. The system continues to work correctly even in the case of a temporary obstacle between the transmitter and the receiver for about 0.5-1 seconds. If the time is exceeded, the system informs the autopilot about the loss of the target. After the obstacle is removed, the system recovers its operation in 0.5-0.8 seconds.

How much does the onboard part of the system weigh?

The weight of the onboard part differs depending on the type of system and version. For example, the ULS-XCopter version of the receiver weighs less than 10 grams. This allows it to be mounted on drones of almost any payload capacity. For technical specifications, please refer to the corresponding sections of the documentation.

Does the receiver have an IMU?

No. Because of its principle of operation, the receiving part of the system is invariant to orientation, there is no need to install an IMU system. However, it should be noted that in order to be able to transmit information to the autopilot in the coordinate system associated with the drone (North East Down Frame) the system requests from the drone information about the Yaw orientation of the aircraft.

Which operating system is suitable for installing the setup and updating software (ULS-Tools)?

ULS-Tool can run on Windows, Linux, and MacOs systems.

What autopilots can work with your system?

At the moment, our system works with the stock Ardupilot and PX4 firmware. However, thanks to the standard interfaces and protocols, it can be easily integrated into almost any system. If you are using your own autopilot system, we can coordinate the communication protocol and help you to integrate our system.

Does the system need an altimeter to operate?

No. Our system independently calculates the distance to the beacon and uses this information to convert the angular position of the aircraft into the Cartesian coordinate system. Accordingly, the system transmits to the autopilot the fully calculated landing coordinates including the distance. By the way, it allows to landing on sites with different altitudes and where radar, laser and ultrasonic altimeter can not work or has a large error (e.g. towers, balconies).

Is it possible with your system to make the landing not vertically, but at an angle?

Yes. Our system allows you to land on the platform at an angle. This is useful when it is necessary to climb onto a balcony or a ledge along a vertical wall, or, in other cases, when it is necessary to avoid the drone to enter a forbidden zone. You can see an example in the video below.