AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.
SimActive’s Correlator3D is being used in Japan for mapping projects on the DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter UAS, the company announced on 6 August.
The equipment is being to validate the accuracy of the UAS for survey operations. A full-scale validation was carried out in the mountains near Hiroshima with a unit flown by SimActive Japanese partner Mirukuru and customer Ace-1.
According to the company, the area was surveyed by two independent flights at different altitude to assess consistency using Correlator3D’s change detection module. The analysis was simple to achieve, and 3D profiles showed no bias and very limited noise.
The Correlator3D software is an end-to-end photogrammetry solution for the generation of high-quality geospatial data from satellite and aerial imagery, including UAS. The software performs aerial triangulation and produces dense digital surface models, digital terrain models, point clouds, orthomosaics, 3D models and vectorized 3D features. Powered by GPU technology and multi-core CPUs, Correlator3D offers advanced processing speed to support rapid production of large datasets.
Shinji Inaba, technical manager at Mirukuru, said: ‘Considering that the data were acquired and processed directly in the field in a record time, the level of detail that are visible and measurable in Correlator3D is stunning. We had independently set up five check points and the residuals are consistently in the 5cm-range, both horizontal and vertical.’
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.
The service has been using a Directed Requirement (DR) approach to speed up the deployment of a Medium Range Reconnaissance capability.
AeroVironment’s portfolio will grow thanks to the eVTOL P550 aimed at battalion-level tactical forces.
The Royal Australian Air Force is advancing its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities across three key programmes as it works with the likes of Boeing and Northrop Grumman to reshape Australia’s defence strategy.
Prototypes from Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems recently passed through MOSA conformance trials and flight tests.
Funds for the second phase of this effort will be allocated in the US Department of Defense (DoD) FY2026 budget request.