Leuven, Belgium, 29 February 2016 – Septentrio, a leading designer and manufacturer of GNSS solutions recently awarded the winners of the Galileo Masters (Flanders Challenge) of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2015 a special prize of the AsteRx-m UAS receiver for demonstrating the most innovative use of high precision GNSS positioning for their project: “UAV Flight Path Learning through GNSS “.
The judging panel were impressed with AiRobot’s Sense and Avoid technology outlined in their proposal. The AsteRx-m UAS GNSS module ensures accurate and robust location information when executing waypoint flying. The sensing technology enables the UAV to create a temporary map of its surroundings ensuring that it will not collide with objects in its path. These combined technologies form a solution permitting safe and efficient horizontal flying in professional working environments.
AiRobot’s Sense and Avoid technology compliments their Ranger technology which was developed in conjunction with IMEC – a world leading researcher of nanoelectronics. Ranger is already known in the Benelux region (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) for increasing safety, productivity and quality of professional UAV operations. Ranger eliminates the need to hire and deploy additional expensive equipment to safely and accurately inspect or survey inaccessible areas.
The OEM board won by AiRobot is the one of the GNSS industry leading solutions for the UAS market. No larger than a standard bank card, Septentrio’s AsteRx-m UAS offers centimetre level position accuracy at only 700 mW using GPS and GLONASS constellations. Septentrio’s GNSS technology is focused specifically on providing accurate and reliable positioning also in challenging conditions where standard GNSS receivers cannot always provide trusted accurate positions.
“AiRobot demonstrated an excellent example of how existing technologies such as UAS, GNSS and other sensors can be combined to create an accurate and novel solution.” stated Jan Van Hees, Director of Business Development and member of the Galileo Prize judging panel. He continued: “We look forward to support the efforts of AiRobot in expanding their Sense and Avoid technology and its applications using Septentrio’s AsteRx-m UAS GNSS receiver.”
The founders of AiRobot remarked: “Our drive to pursue our idea of advancing UAS technology has been further enriched by winning the Septentrio Galileo Prize.”
