Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Magnetic Sensing

Magnetic sensors aboard UAVs are an area of expertise for The Insitu Group. Insitu performed extensive research with Australian Macquarie University, and the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Mineral Exploration regarding the placement ofmagnetic sensors onboard Insitu's Aerosonde. Moreover, Insitu collected extensive data to better understand the necessary spatial separation and compensation needed to effectively operate magnetic sensors as part of integrated UAV systems. This research,along with Insitu's UAV leadership position, highly qualifies Insitu as an ideal candidate to pursue SBIR N03-138.Insitu has performed significant UAV development work, and is approaching commercialization of its maritime UAV, Seascan. Seascan, the daughter of Insitu's Aerosonde - known as the first UAV to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean - is designed as alow-cost, long endurance, autonomous vehicle with integrated sensors. The third UAV in Insitu's family of aircraft is Boeing's ScanEagle - a derivative of Seascan created through a development agreement with Boeing's Unmanned Systems Group. Insitu UAVshave logged thousands of flight hours and hundreds of recoveries using Insitu's patented Skyhook system - a ship-based vertical arrestment system. Furthermore, ScanEagle will be actively involved in Giant Shadow, a January 2003 Navy Exercise demonstratingUAV and UUV support during a Navy Seal mission. SBIR N03-138 aligns perfectly with The Insitu Group's corporate direction and mission. As UAVs continue to prove operational effectiveness, future military operations will be significantly enhanced, and additional commercial applications will bedefined. It is important for UAV developers to understand both the commercial and military applications and requirements for UAVs. The Insitu Group believes careful integration of on-board sensors is a critical requirement in its product development.Stand-alone sensors, not integrated with the rest of the aircraft, can cause additional unneeded weight and demand more resources than integrated sensors. This is a significant issue as UAVs continue to reduce in size, while missions require longerendurance. As with Insitu's Seascan, the onboard EO sensor is a fully integrated package, and it is Insitu's desire to leverage its experience with magnetic sensors and UAVs to provide a similar solution as part of SBIR N03-138.Another key aspect of UAVs for the Navy and commercial applications is the ability for near-vertical takeoff and vertical recovery to support maritime operations. Thus, vehicles must be able to make short field or catapult takeoffs and nearly-verticalrecoveries in a very controlled manner. These launches and recoveries are very likely to occur in a maritime environment where the deck space is pitching, and both weight and space is extremely limited. Additionally, before and after flights, it will benecessary to control the movement of UAV assets with ease and precision in an unsettled environment. Insitu's Skyhook, a vertical arrestment recovery system, allows for this type of operation in a safe and effective manner. This gives UAVs with on-boardmagnetic sensors the ability to perform Air Anti-Submarine Warfare anyplace, anytime.Commercial applications for Insitu's recovery system fall into three initial market segmentations: environmental, commercial fishing, and military/homeland security. The applications within these three segments are off-shore, avoiding restrictionspresented by the Federal Aviation Administration. The environmental industry market includes Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, as well as data collection and monitoring for weather forecasting, iceberg tracking, fisheries,pollution, economic zones and coasts, wildlife, pipeline, fire detection, and sea life. Most, if not all, of these applications will require maritime launch and recovery of UAVs.A primary commercial market for Insitu is providing ship-based launch and recovery UAVs to commercial fishing fleets. Early-adopter customer discussions are already underway. Commercial fishing currently performs fish reconnaissance, as well asreconnaissance of fishing systems, by helicopter - a costly, inefficient and often unsafe mode of operation. UAVs can provide a more cost-effective solution using low-cost, long endurance, autonomous UAVs, such as Insitu's Seascan, to provide anenhancement to data collection on fish schools, while also providing a significantly safer environment.The military and homeland security market is an important market segment to The Insitu Group. In this rapidly developing market, The Insitu Group can help create innovation in applications such as: tracking