MicroPilot’s Mini-UAV Brains

Mosquito(click to view full) The Israeli military is experimenting with a futuristic Frisbee-size unmanned aerial vehicle called the Mosquito. Somewhat like the Class I MAV, et. al., the Mosquito will one day be expected to fly into buildings through doors and windows, taking pictures with its miniature video camera, then fly out again and show soldiers what it saw inside. Its critical robotic brains and autopilot come from MicroPilot Inc. in Winnipeg, Canada, which is carving out an important position in this market. MicroPilot specializes in the small and mini UAV segment, building autopilots that incorporate things like a GPS receiver, altimeter and other sensors, then connect to airframe controls and to the vehicle’s sensor “payload” to issue instructions. Many mission parameters like map/GPS coordinates, altitude settings, et. al. are set in advance using MicroPilot’s PC-based Horizon software, and it’s also possible for soldiers to assume manual control. So, what factors have helped this company succeed? One is a technology advantage. Their MP2028g product weighs just 28 grams and measures 10 x 4 cm. At the moment, its competitors’ offerings weigh substantially more. A second advantage is its status as a Canadian company, which allows it to escape American ITAR […]