Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a complex combination of components, with communication systems being the most essential. Without these systems, it would be impossible to fly unmanned aircraft and collect and transmit aerial images and data. Recently, GA-ASI and Tesat-Spacecom (TESAT) conducted a successful test of their Airborne Laser Communication System (AlCoS) on the ground. The test used TESAT's LCT 135 GEO laser communication terminal to establish a link with a satellite in geosynchronous Earth orbit.
LiDAR drones are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of applications, such as safety inspections, monitoring mining or agriculture progress, or even estimating the size of a resource reserve from the air. Cardan-based Pointing and Acquisition Techniques (PAT) are used to track the moving UAV with precision, regardless of turbulence and fluctuations in the atmosphere, allowing a successful Free Space Optics (FSO) communication link to be established between a ground station and a UAV. Gimbals based on PAT systems are only suitable for large unmanned aerial vehicles, as the payload limits their usability in small unmanned aerial vehicles and in systems with weight restrictions. As LiDAR technology becomes more affordable and lightweight, more companies are beginning to adopt it for aerial inspections.
With LiDAR drones, technology buyers can find the perfect UAV and sensor load for their purposes. The gimbal is controlled by software that runs on a PC, which sends instructions to the gimbal to modify its posture in order to place the UAV in the center of the LiDAR's field of view. This technology enables companies to quickly and safely gather information about any type of site or terrestrial function.
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