DJI Inspire 1 and STORM Racing Drone

Strategic sensor placement in unmanned systems is a critical part of the design process.  A well-designed unmanned system will utilize sensors in configurations that reduce interference/error, and provide overlap to improve accuracy/reliability.   For the purpose of this exercise, sensor placement in the DJI Inspire 1 and the STORM Racing Drone will be examined.

The DJI Inspire 1 is a high-end consumer UAS that is commonly used in the aerial photography and video industry.  The Inspire 1 is built around a carbon fiber body and features a high quality camera, smart device connectivity, dual operator controls, and automatic position holding.  The Inspire 1 weighs approximately 4.5 pounds, has a maximum altitude of 14,753 feet, and features a flight time of 18 minutes.

The CCD camera on the Inspire 1 is a 4K camera capable of shooting video at 30 frames per second.  According to DJI, “The lens consists of 9 separate elements, including an aspherical element, for extreme clarity, while Adobe DNG RAW support gives you the power to make every shot a masterpiece” (DJI, 2015).  The placement and control of the camera system is what sets the Inspire 1 apart from the competition.  The camera is attached to a 3-axis gimbal on the bottom of the frame and allows for 360 degrees of movement.  Using dual operator controls, the camera can be controlled by a secondary operator focused on photography allowing the primary operator to focus on flying.

The Inspire 1 utilizes an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to report velocity and orientation.  The IMU contains accelerometers, a gyroscope, GPS, and a magnetometer to processes its position.  The magnetometer and GPS provide overlapping sensor data that allows the magnetometer to verify the GPSs directional accuracy.  The IMU is positioned to avoid the electric motors from interfering with the magnetometer. 

Additionally, the Inspire 1 features a proprietary Vision Positioning System (VPS).  The VPS combines a downward pointing CCD camera, a range finder, and a dedicated low power CPU to allow GPS-free position holds.  The VPS is located on the bottom rear of the airframe.  The VPS system was built to accommodate indoor photography in areas of poor GPS reception.

            The STORM Racing Drone Type A is a 250-class consumer First Person View (FPV) ready quad-copter.  The 250-class is defined as a quad-copter whose diagonally opposing propeller center points measure between 240 and 260 mm across the airframe.  The Type A aims to set itself apart from the competition by way of its responsive controls and low latency FPV. 

            The Type A mounts a camera to the very front of the airframe providing the FPV operator an optimum 110-degree view.  The FPV transmitter is a Team Blacksheep TBS UNIFY 5G8 200MW 32CH.  The transmitter is a 5.8 GHz, 200mW, 32 channel device that is positioned on the top center of the Type A.  The transmitter is the maximum distance from the electric motors and flight control receiver.

            The Type A does not feature many accessories as extra weight reduces speed.  The Type A features standard electronic speed controllers attached to all four motors and a CCD3 flight controller.  Helipal, manufacturer of the Type A, states that it “is a very stable small outdoor drone with powerful Real-time Video Feed system” (Helipal, 2015).

References

DJI (2015). Inspire 1. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dji.com/product/inspire-1. [Last Accessed 28 January, 2015].

Helipal (2015). STORM Racing Drone Type-A - User Manual. [ONLINE] Available at: http://image.helipal.com/helipal-storm-racing-drone-type-a-v1-1.pdf. [Last Accessed 28 January, 2015].