Skip to main content

u-blox GPS satellite receiver module aids unmanned microdrone flight

Equipped with an on board u-blox GPS satellite receiver module, a microdrone from German light-weight vertical take off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) manufacturer, microdrones, has successfully completed a high-precision aerial journey over the Alps from Switzerland towards Italy. Precise GPS coordinates and elevation were crucial for navigating obstacles and completing the flight in punishing weather conditions. Carrying a high-resolution video camera, the autonomous microdrone completed 18 pre-programmed
July 2, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Equipped with an on board 602 U-Blox GPS satellite receiver module, a microdrone from German light-weight vertical take off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) manufacturer, microdrones, has successfully completed a high-precision aerial journey over the Alps from Switzerland towards Italy.

Precise GPS coordinates and elevation were crucial for navigating obstacles and completing the flight in punishing weather conditions.  Carrying a high-resolution video camera, the autonomous microdrone completed 18 pre-programmed flight segments, mapping designated landmarks along the way.
 
“This successful journey of our microdrone demonstrates the robustness, reliability, and versatility of our autonomous drone technology which is being increasingly used for aerial mapping, surveying, search and rescue, security, utilities inspection, and aerial photography.” said Sven Juerss, microdrones CEO, This autonomous flight would not have been possible without the robust, ultra-precise, real-time satellite positioning technology from u blox.”
 
“Fully automated devices are increasingly used to do tasks that are too costly and dangerous for human operators,” said Herbert Blaser, VP Business Marketing at u-blox, “this is an application that exploits all the features of our satellite navigation modules; fast, accurate-fix, low-power consumption and reliable operation in extreme environmental conditions.”

Related Content

  • December 5, 2013
    Terrestrial solution to stellar shortcomings
    Inherent weaknesses in satellite communications are leading several countries to re-evaluate terrestrial-based backup systems. There is a tale frequently told in satellite navigation circles, of how landing systems at Newark Airport were disrupted by a truck driver using GPS jamming equipment as he drove along the New Jersey Turnpike. While there was no threat to flight safety as the interference to GPS reference stations being tested, the story highlights how apparently benign threats have the potential t
  • April 29, 2019
    Yeti more AV snow-clearing by Semcon
    There is a lot of debate about the place of autonomous vehicles on our roads – but a Swedish company is already ploughing ahead with driverless snow clearance on airport runways, writes David Arminas Femcon, a Swedish applied automation company, has started an on-site project to clear snow from runway landing lights using autonomous vehicles (AVs). Most often, this time-consuming job has to be done manually because of the intricate manoeuvres needed to avoid damaging the lighting systems. The trial pro
  • March 18, 2014
    New u-blox LTE modules
    Supporting LTE category 4 download speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s and upload of 50 Mbit/s, u-blox’s new Toby-L2 and MPCI-L2 modem series is said to support high-bandwidth automotive, networking and video applications with 2G and 3G fallback. The ultra-compact LTE modules with UMTS/HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE, GPRS fallback are suited to vehicle infotainment systems, tablets, notebooks, ruggedised mobile terminals and high-speed M2M applications such as digital signage, remote security and video systems, where backwa
  • June 30, 2023
    Volocopter completes first Saudi eVTOL flight
    Urban air mobility firm is collaborating with Neom smart city development in Saudi Arabia