Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

Drones and GNSS: a precision duo revolutionising industry

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Some twenty countries are already experimenting with drone delivery. But behind this media showcase lies a much wider potential.
Boosted by centimetre-level GNSS positioning, the technology is poised to profoundly transform industrial uses and our daily habits.

…The use of ‘information’ drones by the police during the COVID19 episode shows that drones are becoming an inevitable part of the solution. What are the future applications and markets for this innovation?

How does GNSS technology play a major role for its users?

The development of the drone market

After consumer applications (connected objects, etc.) and solutions for the automotive sector, the drone segment has become the 3rd largest market segment for GNSS. In terms of exports, it has now overtaken the traditional, more mature segments such as maritime transport, aviation and agriculture.
Over the last 5 years, drone exports have tripled, and growth is set to continue at a similar pace over the next few years.

According to several studies, this development will generate more than €2 billion in revenues for the GNSS sector by 2029. This would come from both the sale of equipment and associated services.

Recent developments in applications show that GNSS is a decisive factor in the future of the drone market.

Drone categories

There are several types of drone on the market. These can be grouped into 3 main categories according to price and end use.

Consumerdrones (<800g): 750 euros;
Professional (commercial)drones (>800g) with advanced functions
> €2,000;
Prosumer drones (provider&consumer) less advanced than professional drones but with more advanced functions than consumer drones: 750 to 2,000 euros.

From a technical point of view, we can also divide them into 3 groups according to their wing systems.

Fixed-wing drones and flying wings designed to cover long distances at high altitude and speed. They have greater flight autonomy than their neighbours and are preferable for work requiring video capture. Photos, however, are not optimal. Each pixel represents a large m² surface area, and the high flight altitude of less than 150m has an impact on resolution. Prohibited in urban areas.

Rotating-wing, multi-copter or multi-rotordrones with control and increased manoeuvrability of the aircraft for hovering. They are ideal for low-altitude work requiring photography or vertical capture, such as the façades of buildings.

Hybrid drones combine the two techniques. They take off and land vertically in the same way as a multicopter, switching to aircraft mode for periods of flight. Few drones currently exist in this format, but that could change over the next few years.

50%

of drone users expect horizontal accuracy of less than 10 cm…

Although they are all different, drones are generally subject to the same restrictions:

Flying at night,
Flying over urban areas,
Flying over sensitive areas (military, airports, etc.),
Flying at an altitude of more than 150m,
Vigilance to weather conditions
(wind and rain management),
Take-off zone to be secured.

Thebenefits of GNSS

A survey conducted by EUSPA shows that almost 50% of drone users expect horizontal accuracy of less than 10 cm and 38% expect vertical accuracy of less than 10 cm.

Similarly, 40% of users indicate that the maximum horizontal error tolerance should not exceed 1 metre, with 35% having the same opinion regarding vertical tolerance.

We can therefore conclude that high precision is both expected and necessary for drone pilots. What’s more, accuracy alone is not enough: real data integrity and repeatability are also required for professional use.

The security of position data, which has become an essential element in recent years, is also eagerly awaited. We need to prevent and guarantee that drones cannot be hijacked or misled by means such as signal spoofing.

At present, there are few technologies that can provide guarantees on all these issues, which are vital for mass deployment and professional or defence use, andone of these is GNSS technology, which becomes essential for drones. GNSS guarantees precise positioning and safe, reliable navigation for consumer, commercial and professional applications.

Article: GNSS Centimetric Positioning: How does it work?

However, the level of accuracy and quality of position data expected cannot be achieved without a GNSS signal augmentation or correction service.

How do you measure the performance of a positioning system?

Accuracy

Accuracy is an estimate of the possible error (tolerance) between the measured position and the “true” position.

Service availability/continuity

Often represented by a percentage rate, availability indicates the probability of using the service with the required quality at a given time and place. The concept of continuity is the same as that of availability, but over a given period.

Repeatability

Is the ability to repeat a measurement over time with a guarantee of the accuracy of the result. (Variations observed during a repeated action).

Drones are no longer just tools for taking pictures. Combined with centimetre-level GNSS positioning, they are becoming key levers in many industrial sectors.
However, to exploit their full potential, you need to choose the right correction technology, understand their real areas of application… and be aware of their limits.

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