SENSYS R4 Magnetometer

With a breathtaking backdrop, Portland Harbour (an ex-Royal Navy port) delivers the perfect location to demonstrate the capabilities of the UgCS True Terrain Following (TTF) system and to fine-tune its performance in the most challenging environment – over the sea!

Utilising an M300 RTK coupled to a SENSYS R4 over a period of no less than three whole days, we slowly but surely uncovered the optimal settings and configuration for a flight over the sea at 1 m and less ASL. These flights are not for the faint-hearted, especially when the drone lowers itself from over 20 m to 1 m in one smooth but unrelenting motion.

SENSYS R4 Magnetometer & Processing Software

As we were flying the TTF system, we also collected magnetic data for processing post-trial flights. Using the SENSYS R4 data processing flow, rapid analysis was possible after each flight, including the exact positioning of any anomalies.

Drone Magnetometer Applications

• Archaeology (buried walls and pits, amongst other uses)
• Pipeline route detection (gas and water pipelines)
• HV Cable route detection
• UXO clearance
• Mineral Investigations

Equipment Used on Trial

• M300 RTK UAV (with RTK Correction)
• SENSYS R4 UAV Magnetometer
• UgCS Automated Mission Software
• UgCS SkyHub with TTF Capability
• SENSYS Magneto Processing Software

Conclusion

JBUAS has now fine-tuned the TTF to a standard we will roll out to all our customers. We have demonstrated over three whole days that the TTF system is more than capable of working over the sea with normal wind conditions while carrying the 2 m pole of the R4.

JBUAS can support you with your next trials; get in touch here.

In January 2023, JBUAS supported testing in Scotland of a new Low Frequency (LF) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) that SPH Engineering designed for integration with the DJI M300 RTK. Our customer invested in the LF GPR system and requested help with initial configuration and testing. After a full day of flying different configurations, the team gained a clear understanding of the technology.

The GPR Technology

The LF Drone GPR is a single-channel ground-penetrating radar system with an unshielded dipole antenna. The system utilises several frequencies depending on the length of poles used for the application. The system also utilises a newly developed approach based on real-time sampling (RTS), with hardware stacking. This enables the system to provide clean profiles for evaluation and interpretation. The GPR comes with three different centre frequency options, including 100 MHz, 150 MHz, and 300 MHz.

SkyHub & TTF Feature

As part of this GPR system, all the data is recorded within the UgCS SkyHub for effortless download of SEG-Y files into Prism 2 via WIFI or Ethernet cable. Furthermore, the UgCS True Terrain Following Feature (TTF) enables the drone to fly safely at the low levels required for good data capture.

Soil Conditions

The trial was conducted on an active project site where the developers required an understanding of the soil depth to rock. On the day of the trial, the air temperature was zero degrees centigrade, resulting in the ground being frozen. There was some light vegetation, and the soil type was loam.

Results

As can be seen from the 150 MHz profile, we were able to identify the different layers quite well and certainly enough for direct export to a GIS for planning requirements. Overall, the drone LF GPR demonstrated that for defining sediment layers, it was more than up to the task.

Further Trials

There will be further trials of this system in the coming weeks, including UXO, peat depth measurements, and further sediment work. If you would like to learn more about the system or indeed would like to trial the system, please get in touch.