Activity
6-4 Research Assignment: Control Station Analysis
Technology is continuing to evolve and advance
for unmanned systems. Unmanned systems
continue to increase the amount of data they can provide from their
sensors. Due to the advancement in
technology for these systems it is important for the operator to invest in a
reliable and universal control station.
It is advantageous for the end user to have a control station that can
operate unmanned systems from several platforms, such as both unmanned aerial
systems (UAS) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). In researching products for UGV control
stations that have this capability UAV Factory’s commercial-off the shelf
(COTS) dual display mobile station (DDMS) fits this description. It can control a multitude of unmanned
vehicles, including UAS, UGV, remotely operated vehicles (ROV), and bomb
disposal robots (UAV Factory, 2016) . It is important to the end user that this
system is capable of operating both aerial and ground vehicles, for cost
savings, so an end user does not have to purchase a separate system later if
they were to need one for operating a UAS.
UAV Factory’s COTS DDMS is a rugged system that
has a multitude of features for UGV operations.
According to UAV Factory (2016), the hardware specifications include the
following:
- Its dimensions are 1000 x 420 x 170 mm, with a weight of 18.9 kg.
- An operating temperature of -20o to 60o Celsius.
- Electronics compartment dimensions of 320 x 270 x 80 mm.
- A M4 threaded mounting grid, with a 45 mm pitch and an aluminum mounting kit for the electronics mounting base.
- An included accessory bag with the dimensions of 220 x 160 x 70 mm.
- A rugged plastic case with side and carry handles, wheels, pressure purge valve, and an optional shoulder strap.
- A computer docking station for mounting a computer.
- A 17 inch TFT 1280x1024 (SXGA) display that has a brightness of 1600 nits and an optional VGA input, with an optional touch screen.
The control station has an impressive power
distribution system, too. It includes two
108 Wh hot-swappable lithium-ion batteries with a two hour battery life; can be
powered by 10 to 32 volts of direct current with over-voltage and reverse
polarity protection; two 50 Ohm antennas; and provides two 12 volts of direct
current, 50 W power outputs for the electronics compartment and external
devices (UAV Factory, 2016) .
Last according to UAV Factory (2016), there are the following ports for
connection to the computer:
- 2 serial RS-232
- 5 USB
- 2 Ethernet
- 1 Composite Video in
- 1 optional VGA
- 1 microphone in
- 1 audio out
- PCMCIA slot
- 1 HDMI
As seen by the power distribution listed above and the
connections available to the computer, the control station has a very
sophisticated and advanced power distribution system.
The ground control station has a lot of
features available for UGV control operations and not many changes are needed
to the system. One disadvantage to the
system is an end user must purchase a Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 to operate the
control station, and it is currently the only computer that is compatible with
the control station (UAV Factory, 2016) .
According to UAV Factory (2016), the COTS DDMS must be used with a
Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 that has the following specifications:
- A 13.1 inch XGA touch screen LED 1024x768 display.
- Durability of MIL-STD-810G & IP65 certified (6' drop).
- A brightness of 1100 nits.
References:
UAV Factory. (2016). Portable Ground Control Station.
Retrieved July 10, 2016, from UAV Factory: http://www.uavfactory.com/product/16
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