DWT SGW Forum Unmanned Systems
Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 1
53175 Bonn
Booth S11
Saal Schumann
19 December 2018: Gatwick Airport stands still for 36 hours. From Wednesday evening to Friday morning no aircraft takes off or lands. Over 150,000 passengers are impaired; British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says there is no simple commercial off the shelf technology that could prevent a drone from approaching an airfield. The effort required to cause this disruption with a single drone, on the other hand, is minimal, almost nil in relation to the effect.
Scientists at the University of Florida (Gainesville, USA) are researching the control of drones by thought. Electrodes of a headset measure the electrical activity of the brain and convert it into control impulses.
On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, a swarm of 1218 luminous drones paints the Olympic rings into the night sky of Pyeongchang. The pilot is a computer.
And military? As in civilian use, the possibilities and dangers are equally relevant. And just as in the civilian environment, the technical possibilities are unfolding at an ever faster pace.
In military terms, it is important to know what is technically feasible and emerging trends in order to be able to assess which "unmanned capabilities" are relevant for the Bundeswehr now and in the future - and which defence mechanisms are required.
The Fraunhofer FHR will present the possibilities of drone detection using radar and the possibilities of using UAS as a platform for radars at its booth.
Come by and visit us at booth S11.
Imaging mmW radars are able to illuminate a scene actively and independently of weather and light conditions. The MIRANDA-94 radar operates at a center frequency of 94 GHz with a 1 GHz bandwidth which results in a resolution of 15 cm.
UAVs are very flexible flight platforms and give the pilot the opportunity for stand-off operation. For instance, in natural disasters, when dust and smoke optically obscure the scene, UAV borne mmW radars give a fast and detailed overview of the scene.
The number of reports about obstructions and accidents caused by small drones is growing and requires an early detection of these micro UAS. Since mmW radars can be operated independently from daytime and weather, it is an excellent choice for air surveillance of drones.
Fraunhofer FHR was able to demonstrate the detection of micro UAS with the four-channel radar system MuRPS. It uses the monopulse technique at 94 GHz with a bandwidth of 1 GHz and allows a range resolution of 15 cm. For more information click here.
The use of unmanned, autonomous systems (UAS) in an urban environment offers many advantages. However, autonomous navigation, like the detection of drones, is a challenge for future sensor systems. The shading of buildings, for example, makes the detection of drones more difficult. The solution is to set up sensor networks. For the development of radar sensors, size, weight and energy requirements as well as secure communication between the individual sensor nodes are key challenges.
Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR