During the operation of automatic missions, it is common to fly over points of interest or some sort of activity that should be monitored with the UAS. Thanks to the activation of the fly-by-camera, we can take control of the UAS in a simple and intuitive way. By pointing the camera, with the help of a joystick, to the objective to monitor, the UAS will adjust control to maintain a stable flight over the target.

This fully functional fly-by-camera navigation system can be achieved with the combination of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a camera. The flight control interface permits the user to set a target to focus on with the camera. A speed controller produces a simultaneous movement on the unmanned vehicle and at the positioning unit of the camera. Whereby this controller achieves final positioning and control in all the terms of speed and position.

The fly-by-camera system lends itself to various kinds of applications, such as: tracking of moving vehicles; border surveillance; private property protection; maritime search and rescue; oil pipeline facility maintenance; water supplies, etc.

Compatible UAS with fly-by camera

The use of different kinds of UAS is not incompatible with the fly-by-camera functionality; both multirotors or helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft can support this positioning system.

Multirotor and helicopter UAS can maintain a fixed position for a better and more controlled approach. These can maintain a fixed attitude of the camera and follow the target without losing focus; or they can also maintain a fixed position and reorient the gimbal. In the case of fixed-wing aircraft, it can maintain a slower flight over the target, coordinating the gimbal to keep the target in focus, or maintain the preset route and use the gimbal for tracking the target.

Veronte Autopilot 1x is one of the main unmanned control systems that support fly-by-camera navigation, a failsafe avionic system with fully onboard processing that calculates the position of the target and varies the route accordingly. Furthermore, it can be integrated with any commercially available gimbal, maximizing the compatibility with any aircraft.