UAV - Terrain Following Technologies

There are many technologies being used today suchnice if the using terrain following devices, which if
as ultrasonic sensors, which provide non-contact forultrasound is used are really inexpensive in the car
solution levels in liquid storage tanks. Using thiswash industry will cause a somewhat vertically
technology the tanks can use non-corrosive methodsunpredictable flight pattern of that of a bird, which
to prevent failure of parts. For instance in a fuel tankmoves with the currents and updrafts crossing roads
the bacteria can eat through a 505 (2-inch) think pieceor downdrafts crossing creeks and cooler air.You see
of stainless steel in about a week or so. Even plastic,the simple instability of the relative wind along with the
which is made from petroleum products becomesterrain ultrasonic control system pulling up when it gets
brittle in such environments. So the solution in theclose to the ground will look like the flight of a bird, one
various industries is to use sound waves to controlwhich you cannot see and you cannot hear if it is
switches and float leveling systems. One company inelectric. For all practical purposes a small delivery
our industry is Compac Engineering which makes allsystem similar to the birds in Harry Potters Book five.
types of "Eracta Switches" like an erector set youThe speed of sound is a factor of air temperature and
build the desired structure or device out of plastic,of course air pressure and density but at slower
insert their sensors, plug it in and you are completed.speeds of a UAV is less of a consideration. A tree in
You can know soap levels, waster water levels,the way would be a different signal bounce for sound
freshwater levels using devices, which do not corrode,than the ground, sensors can easily see the
rust or deteriorate quickly.These same systems anddifference.Right now much work is being done on
other systems are used in car washes to guide thepedestrian radars using sound, which are now available
car and systems close without touching the car. In thein Europe on cars and soon in US. Most major auto
previous decade electronic eyes were used, costlymanufacturers have this and if you remember the last
and often failed and each morning a ghost wash wasTerminator Movie out now the robots, which shoot
needed to test the system and if the controlrotating machine guns use sound to identify targets, the
mechanism failed the unit would touch the practice cardisruption of the returning of the sound waves is
and scratch it, ruining the paint. This newer technologyrecognized by shape and therefore the object is
is best suited in that it has less moving parts andidentified. They call this technique windowing. The
works very easily with less mechanism for Murphyismproximity sensors for car washes use a complex
and less weight of components a critical issue in UAVseries of ultrasonic sound pulses using emitters and
operations since payloads are critical.The best little tinyreceivers. But the systems can be easily made very
UAVs which go by another term MAV- Micro Airsimply and relatively weightless. Many animals in nature
Vehicles can only carry 9-11 lbs. not much really, butuse such signals to hunt; Bats for instance and Dolphins
enough to get the job done. Every pound you savesonar. You see not too difficult to see why. Easy to
adds to the range of the craft for fuel or batteryuse and light-weight. In cold conditions the units, which
power in the case of many of the UAVs around.gather ice could have a bit of a problem however
Electric MAVs and/or Small UAVs for militarymost of the enemies of the US are near the equator,
purposes are desired since they do not need fuel onlywhere it is warmer. This system works day or night
setting a switch allowing the chemicals to mix andand in stormy weather when proper filters are used.
cause a reation and start the process of makingAnother even cooler new technology which has been
electricity. GPS guided units by satellites are often bestrecently adopted in the car wash industry is "passive
for UAV control in that the operator releases or handferrous object detection" this technology uses a very
launches the unit and lets it go and the satellite guides itsimplistic approach which identifies natural local
by electronic pulses or pinging from satellite withinmagnetic disturbances in the Earth's natural magnetic
way-points without any rhythm and thereforefield; another easy system, which can guide a
electronic pulses are not able to be blocked as signals.UAV.Ultrasonic sensors can be solid state or newer
Without blocking an entire band of frequencies andchip technology to work. UAVs, which can fly under
that takes lots of power and directional awareness ofradars and line of sight around and through trees, like
UAV which if autonomous is nearly impossible to findbirds and insects are the future of UAV technology. It's
or see and you cannot know where it is since it'sa bird, It's a plane, no its a UAV. Holly pilot-less RC
signature is less than the smallest bird.Also electric ismodeling Batman.