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by Dr David Maddison SILICON CHIP visited the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition, also known as the Avalon Airshow, to take a look at the latest aerospace technology. This is a major international show and attracts the largest aerospace corporations from all over the world, as well as some smaller ones. It’s held every two years at Avalon Airport, near Geelong in Victoria. T his article concentrates on new developments in aerospace technology. We aren’t going to cover any of the technology already described in our previous articles on the Avalon Airshow, in the May 2013 (siliconchip.com.au/Article/3789) and May 2015 (siliconchip.com.au/Article/8550) issues. In those previous articles, we covered modern aircraft operating in Australian, including the RAAF C-17 Globemaster III, the Heron, E-7A Wedgetail, KC-30A, MQ-4C or many other interesting aircraft and related platforms. So without further ado, let’s now take a look at what was new at the Avalon Airshow this year. Fig.1 shows a map of the exhibits. Boeing “Loyal Wingman” The Loyal Wingman is an Australiandeveloped, artificial intelligence based stealthy combat drone under development by Boeing in Brisbane, in conjunction with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) – see Fig.2. The unexpected unveiling of this system at the show caused quite a stir 12 Silicon Chip among industry personnel. This is the first high-performance military aircraft Australia has made since World War II. The Wingman is designed to fly along with other manned aircraft such as the RAAF Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft (see SILICON CHIP May 2013) or the RAAF Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (see SILICON CHIP May 2015). It can also fly alongside the RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet or F-35A on combat missions, where its role would be to take on higher-risk intelligencegathering tasks, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in enemy airspace and possibly also deliver missiles or bombs. At 11.7m long and with a range of 2000 nautical miles (3700km), it is expected to cost less than a manned fighter. Boeing is spending an undisclosed amount of money on the project and the Australian Government has provided $40 million. The first prototype flight is expected in 2020. See the videos titled “Boeing unveils its 38ft long autonomous ‘Loyal WingAustralia’s electronics magazine man’ drone” via siliconchip.com.au/ link/aaoj and “Boeing’s ‘Loyal Wingman’ drone | What the Future” at: siliconchip.com.au/link/aaok The F-35A and RAAF Plan Jericho The Air Force is undergoing rapid change due to new technology, including the new F-35A fighter aircraft which Australia is purchasing (Figs.3 & 4). It is regarded as a “fifth generation” aircraft. The previous generations were as follows. • The first generation of jet fighters were the subsonic jets which first took flight in the mid-40s (towards the end of WW2 or just after), such as the Gloster Meteor and North American F-86 Saber. • Second generation fighter jets were unveiled in the mid-50s to early 60s; they had afterburning turbojets; for example, the Dassault Mirage. • The third generation were aircraft from the mid-60s to early 70s, with improved manoeuverability, ground attack capabilities and guided missiles. This includes the McDonnell siliconchip.com.au Fig.1: by any definition, the Avalon Airshow is BIG! This site map shows how spread out the airshow was, and how many aircraft were on display, from tiny to enormous. Douglas F-4 Phantom II. • The fourth generation took flight from the early 70s to the mid-90s, including multi-role aircraft with advanced avionics and weapons, such as the McDonnell Douglas F/A18 Hornet. • “Four-and-a-half” generation jets were built from the early 90s to mid2000s, and were mostly modified fourth-generation aircraft with en- hanced features such as improved radar and infrared signature management, helmet mounted sights, GPS guided weapons and highly integrated systems. This includes the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Super Hornet. • Fifth generation aircraft have very low radar and infrared signatures (stealth capability), internal weapons bays, vastly improved situation- al awareness and a network-centric combat environment. This includes the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which is just starting to enter service. Fifth-generation fighters are part of “network-centric warfare”, which is a military doctrine, originating in the USA in 1996. This seeks to translate information from superior sensors and communications into a military advan- Fig.2: the Australian-developed Boeing Loyal Wingman autonomous fighter jet on display. siliconchip.com.au Australia’s electronics magazine May 2019  13 Fig.3: a recently delivered RAAF F-35A Lightning II flying near RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. It is a fifthgeneration fighter jet and an essential element of Plan Jericho. tage by the use of computer networking to distribute that information to one’s own geographically dispersed forces. The network-centric combat environment of the fifth generation F-35A and other current generation platforms means that the entire Air Force (and indeed the entire military) must be optimised to take full advantage of this, which culminates with Plan Jericho. The Air Force was extensively promoting this plan at the Avalon airshow. Its purpose is to “protect Australia from technologically sophisticated and rapidly morphing threats”. It will use “augmented intelligence” to shift the Air Force “from one that uses people to operate machines and cooperate with other people, to a force in which people and machines operate together”. This plan has four main prongs: 1) the use of autonomous processing, embedding machine processing throughout the force, to improve the speed and correctness of decisions that need to be made during combat 2) the use of advanced sensors, to detect and track enemy targets in difficult environments 3) a “combat cloud”, to integrate and distribute resources from across the fifth generation force, to further enhance decision-making 4) human-machine augmentation, to optimise performance within an ethical, moral, and legal framework You can read more about Plan Jericho via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaol The RAAF EA-18G Growler The RAAF had on display its EA18G Growler. Australia has 11 of these, based at RAAF Base Amberley, 40km south-west of Brisbane (see Fig.5). The Growler is an “electronic attack aircraft”, designed to disrupt or deny enemy radar, sensors and communications. It can cause the enemy to receive false radar returns or to fal- Fig.7: the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial system, as used by the Royal Australian Navy. 14 Silicon Chip Fig.4: an Australian F-35A on the ground. sify other data. The Growler is based on the F/A-18F Super Hornet airframe and has electronic equipment mounted where the 20mm cannon would otherwise be, plus wing-tip mounted electronics pods. Nine weapons stations remain available for weapons or additional electronics pods. Further upgrades for the Growler are being developed for the US Navy, known as REAM (Reactive Electronic Attack Measures). REAM will add machine learning and artificial intelligence to the Growler system, and these upgrades will probably be offered to the RAAF eventually. In addition to its electronic warfare equipment, the Growler can carry the AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles, designed to home in on and destroy radar systems. Plus it can also carry AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-9X “Sidewinder” advanced short- Fig.8: a US Navy ScanEagle in flight. Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au Fig.5: an RAAF EA-18G “Wild Weasel” electronic attack aircraft. The pods contain electronic warfare equipment, such as radar and communications jammers. “Wild Weasel” refers to any type of aircraft tasked with destroying enemy radar and air defence systems. range air-to-air missiles, both for chasing off or shooting down enemy aircraft which threaten the Growler. See the video titled “RAAF Growler delivery complete, report” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaom Kelpie Multi-purpose Autonomous Ground Vehicle AOS is an Australian artificial intelligence company (www.aosgrp.com). The AOS Kelpie is an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) that has been designed as part of the RAAF Plan Jericho (see Fig.6). It is an electrically-powered, off-road capable vehicle that can be used for applications such as patrolling a military base perimeter or delivery of matériel from a base to soldiers on the front lines. It uses the iSight intelligent intruder tracking system, capable of autonomously tracking and classifying subjects of interest and applying facial recognition to humans. Fig.6: the AOS Kelpie autonomous ground vehicle on the loading ramp of an RAAF C-17A Globemaster III cargo aircraft. The RAAF operates eight Globemasters, each with a cargo capacity of 77 tonnes. See SILICON CHIP, May 2013 for more details. It’s a low-cost system, due to the use of standard components, and features a collision-avoidance system utilising LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and an optional radar system. It is capable of speeds up to 80km/h, can carry up to 100kg, has an onboard video camera to transmit live video and intelligent software agent technology with machine learning and machine vision. Multiple software “agents” can be teamed up to enable multiple Kelpies to work with each other, and with humans. It’s expected to be released in 2020. ScanEagle The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had a Boeing Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial system on display (also used by the Australian Army) – see Figs.7 & 8. It is a small, American-made remotely piloted aircraft that is in exten- sive use internationally. Its maximum takeoff weight is 22kg; it’s 1.55-1.71m long (depending on configuration), has a 3.11m wingspan and an endurance of 12+ hours at an altitude of up to 16,800ft (5120m). It is powered by a 28cc, two-stroke engine. It cruises at 50-60 knots (93111km/h) with a top speed of 80 knots (148km/h). The payloads are modular, and a variety is available, such as electro-optical sensors, infrared sensors, a Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) camera, Maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems. The RAN primarily uses the electrooptical and infrared payloads. It is launched with a pneumatic (compressed air) launcher and recovered by a “Skyhook” retrieval system which uses a hook on the end of its wingtip to engage a rope hanging from a pole, the process being guided by high accuracy GPS. Figs.9 & 10: the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 at the RAN display. siliconchip.com.au Australia’s electronics magazine May 2019  15 Additional Airshow Video Shortlinks Here are some videos showing some of the sights of the show and other information. • US Air Force Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle flying in and landing at Avalon. It flew in from Andersen Air Force Base in Hawaii, and this was the first time one landed at an airshow. See the videos titled “Global Hawk Achieves Historic First at Avalon 2019” via siliconchip.com.au/ link/aapb and “USAF Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV Arrival Into Avalon Airshow 2019” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aapc • Video of “F 35 F 22 F 18 Flying In A Close Formation First Time Ever In Australia At Avalon Airshow 2019” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aapd • Air-to-air refuelling of RAAF F/A-18 by a KC-30A tanker, titled “RAAF KC 30 Mid Air Refueling Two F 18 At Avalon Airshow 2019” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aape • RAAF F-35A demonstration, titled “RAAF F 35 Power Pack Aerial Display At Avalon Airshow 2019” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aapf • Bird strike! USAF C-17 ingests a bird and aborts take off. See the video titled “Bird Strike | USAF C17 Engine EXPLOSION on Takeoff | 2019 Avalon Airshow” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aapg • Video titled “[4K] 2019 Avalon Airshow: F/A-18 Hornet, F-35A and F22 Raptor display (RAAF and USAF)” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaph • Glider display, titled “Johan Gustafsson SZD-59 ‘ACRO’ Display Avalon Airshow 2019” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aapi • Avalon Trade Day 1 round up, titled “Snapshot of Avalon Airshow action Trade Day One” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aapj • Avalon Trade Day 2 round up, titled “Avalon Airshow 2019 - Aircraft of Day Two” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aapk • USAF B-52 fly past, titled “Boeing B-52 Stratofortress evening flypast - Avalon Airshow” via siliconchip.com.au/ link/aapl • Australian industry participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, video via siliconchip.com.au/link/aapm • An alternate view on the inadvisability of incorporating artificial intelligence in military platforms, titled “Artificial Intelligence: it will kill us | Jay Tuck | TEDxHamburgSalon” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aapn 16 16  S Silicon Chip Fig.11: an airborne laser (LiDAR) scan of Melbourne from the RIEGL LMS-Q560. You can view a video of the landbased launch and recovery of a ScanEagle by the Australian Army in Afghanistan, titled “Insitu ScanEagle Launch And Capture” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aaon Schiebel Camcopter S-100 The RAN also had an Austrian-made Schiebel Camcopter S-100 on display. It is a helicopter-type unmanned aerial system used for shipborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance – see Figs.9 & 10. It’s equipped with a Wescam MX10MS multi-sensor multi-spectral imaging system, that can read the number plate of a car from 250m away and it also has night-vision capabilities. The S-100 has a payload capacity of 50kg, is 3.1m long and 1.2m wide with a main rotor diameter of 3.4m. It weighs 110kg empty and has a maximum take-off weight of 200kg, 120 knot (222km/h) top speed and a cruise speed of 100 knots (185km/h) with an endurance of 6 hours and ceiling of 18,000ft (5500m). The RAN unit has a heavy-fuel capable engine of unknown specifications, but the gasoline-powered versions use a 41kW Wankel rotary engine. The RAN engine uses JP-5 low flashpoint heavy fuel (kerosene-based), which is typically used as an aviation fuel on navy vessels and is safer than gasoline. This engine can also run on JP-8 (also kerosene based, but more similar to diesel) and Jet A-1, the civilian equivalent of JP-8. See the videos titled “Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 - Royal AustralAustralia’s electronics magazine Fig.12: the RIEGL VQ-1560i-DW airborne LiDAR scanning system uses two different wavelengths for enhanced information. It has primarily environmental applications. ian Navy Trials” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aaoo and “Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 - Heavy Fuel Engine” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaop RIEGL laser measurement RIEGL (www.riegl.com) make a variety of laser-scanning systems that enable three-dimensional images of a variety of scenes to be built quickly from land-based or aerial platforms. Applications include scanning archaeological sites, architectural sites, monitoring land movements (such as in landslide-prone areas or glacier areas), monitoring city developments, monitoring mining sites, monitoring earth moving works, monitoring growth and density of forests and many others – see Figs.11 & 12. Event-based Neuromorphic Space Imaging (Astrosite) Neuromorphic imaging, as the name implies, is an imaging system modelled upon how the human eyes and brain register images. The human eye tends only to notice changes in images rather than reacquire a whole new image each time; to do so would be wasteful of mental resources (or computational resources in this case). Western Sydney University’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS), in conjunction with RAAF’s Plan Jericho and Defence Science and Technology (DST) group, has developed Astrosite, a camera system that registers only changes in an image, just like the human eye and brain (see Fig.13). It does this in hardware rather than siliconchip.com.au Fig.13: the Neuromorphic imaging system, Astrosite, aimed at the sky. in software and is thus far more computationally efficient, because only changes in the image are sent as data. Such a system could be used for looking for astronomical events such as meteorites, monitoring satellite or space debris or aircraft movements or indeed anywhere where the subject of interest changes against a mostly static background. All pixels in the camera operate independently of each other, so it has a high dynamic range and objects in space can be tracked even during the day. See the video via siliconchip.com. au/link/aaoq Phoenix Jet The Phoenix Jet is produced by the Australian company Air Affairs Australia (www.airaffairs.com.au). It is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) target drone, used as a training aid for military personnel, as a realistic target for guns or other air defence systems (Fig.14). It can be recovered via parachute for reuse, or it can be destroyed, depending on what the training exercise requires. Typically, it is flown on several training missions where it can be recovered before the more expensive exercise of destruction is undertaken. It has an endurance of 60 minutes, can fly at a speed in excess of 330 knots Fig.14: the Phoenix Jet target drone. (610km/h), has a range of 100km, a maximum altitude of 6000m (19,700ft), a maximum launch weight of 66kg, an internal payload (such as flares) of up to 3.5kg, a jet engine with 40kg thrust and is launched by a catapult (see Fig.15). It can be augmented with a Luneberg lens to increase its radar cross section (making it easier for air defence radars to pick up), an IFF (identification friend or foe) transponder, and smoke, infrared and acoustic emitters. The aircraft is 2.4m long, 2.2m wide and 740mm tall. See the video titled “Air Affairs Australia” via siliconchip.com. au/link/aaor Titomic Kinetic Fusion Titomic (www.titomic.com) is an Australian company that specialises in additive manufacturing. It has exclusive rights to a CSIRO-developed process known as Kinetic Fusion, which involves the cold-gas spraying of titanium or titanium alloy onto a scaffold (which can be later removed) to make components without size or shape limitations (Fig.16). Titanium is usually very difficult and expensive to machine, but this process avoids that. It has advantages over conventional 3D printing of metals (including titanium) because the particles are accelerated and fuse by collision, a mechanical process, rather than with heat which means there are no problems with oxidation and therefore no controlled atmosphere is needed. Also, the components are fully formed; therefore, there is no weakness created by bending during fabrication. Dissimilar metals can also be fused. Very high build rates are possible. The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) The Joint Strike Missile is a multirole version of the Naval Strike Missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (www. kongsberg.com/en/kds) – see Fig.17. It is a fifth-generation missile, designed for internal carriage in the F-35A and F-35C jets for anti-ship and land attack missions, as well as for external carriage on other aerial platforms. According to the manufacturer, it has high levels of survivability against anti-missile threats, an extremely low radar cross-section (stealth), extreme sea skimming ability, high lethality and it features autonomous target recognition. Two JSMs can be carried internally in the F-35 with more externally (with reduced stealth). The project to adapt the missile to the F-35 is being funded by Norway and Australia. Australia is also funding development of a new seeker for the missile, by BAE Systems Australia. Fig.15 (left): the Phoenix Jet on its catapult launcher. Fig.16 (right): components produced by the Titomic Kinetic Fusion process. siliconchip.com.au Australia’s electronics magazine May 2019  17 Fig.17: a model of the intermediate-range Joint Strike Missile, two of which fit in the F-35A’s internal weapons bays. The missile uses an infrared imager to identify targets, but the new seeker will add an ability to track targets based on their RF signature as well. The missile weighs 370kg with a 120kg warhead, uses an inertial guidance system, a laser gyroscope and GPS for navigation, has a range of greater than 150 nautical miles (277km); is 3.7m long and is powered by a solid rocket booster and a Microturbo TRI40 turbojet. See the videos titled “NEW ADVANCED MISSILE for F-35 Joint Strike Missile JSM to defeat S-500” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaos and “NSM - JSM Naval Strike Missile & Joint Strike Missile” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aaot Australian Space Agency The recently formed (1st July 2018) Australian Space Agency (siliconchip. com.au/link/aaou) was present to publicise their role. The agency defines its role as follows: “Providing national policy and strategic advice on the civil space sector; coordinating Australia’s domestic civil space sector activities; supporting the growth of Australia’s space industry and the use of space across the broad- Fig.18: the Amazon Bot in its natural habitat, the Amazon jungle. er economy; leading international civil space engagement; administering space activities legislation and delivering on our international obligations; inspiring the Australian community and the next generation of space entrepreneurs.” SILICON CHIP readers will recall that Australia’s first satellite, WRESAT, was launched in 1967. This space agency has now finally been formed, over half a century later! See the article on WRESAT in SILICON CHIP, October 2017 for more details (siliconchip.com.au/Article/10822). Amazon Bot Amazon Bot was an experimental hexapod robot developed by the CSIRO, designed to traverse terrain with its six legs that a wheeled robot could not (see Fig.18). It was also designed to be fielddeployable and easily transported by one person; a rarity for most robots. It was tested in the Amazon as part of an international biodiversity project. It used a laser-scanning system and camera to “see” and to create a detailed map of its environment. It was lost in transit back from the Amazon but work is underway to create new, more advanced robots that work with others, to explore underground environments such as caves. See the video titled “Data61 in the Amazon - a highlights reel” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaov Rafael Drone Dome Playing on the name of the highly successful Iron Dome, Israel’s Rafael (www.rafael.co.il) has developed Drone Dome to counter enemy or terrorist drones, especially weaponised consumer drones (see Fig.19). Terrorists have been known to use commercially-available consumer drones such as the DJI Phantom, and this system can neutralise those by either a “soft kill” or a “hard kill”. A soft kill is where the communication link to the operator, and possibly the GPS navigation signal, is jammed. If the drone is autonomous and this is not possible, then a hard kill is required, and this is effected by a powerful, weapons-grade laser (Fig.20). The system detects the hostile drone with a radar and camera and can detect a target as small as 0.002m2 at a distance of 3.5km. The system operator determines whether to destroy a hostile drone by soft or hard kill techniques. The entire system can be mounted on a vehicle if necessary (see Fig.21). Fig.19 (left): Rafael’s Drone Dome system can detect a drone up to 3.5km away. The system’s radar does not rotate, but up to four radars can be combined for 360° coverage. It also has an optical sensor, a passive RF sensor and a jammer unit, plus a laser and a control centre with a single operator. Fig.20 (right): Drone Dome’s laser system for “hard kills”. 18 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au PCBCart is a China-based full feature PCB production solution provider. With over ten years’ experience on fabrication and assembly of all kinds of PCBs, we’re fully capable of completing any custom project with superior quality and performance at any quantity on time, on budget. There are certainly cheaper PCB manufacturing offerings on the market, but the cheapest option is almost never the least expensive. Here at PCBCart, you don’t get what you’ve paid for, you get much much more! Advanced manufacturing capabilities: PCB Fabrication up to 32 layers Turnkey or Consigned PCB Assembly Prototype to Mass Production, Start from 1 pc IPC Class 2 and IPC Class 3 Standards Certified Blind/Buried Vias, Microvias, Via In Pad, Gold fingers, Impedance control, etc. Free but priceless value-added options: Custom Layer Stackup Free PCB Panelization Valor DFM Check, AOI, AXI, FAI, etc. Advice on Overall Production Cost Reduction sales<at>pcbcart.com www.pcbcart.com Fig.21: Drone Dome in a mobile application with four radar units, for 360º coverage. Other counter-drone systems exist, but almost none of these have the hard kill capability of Drone Dome. Another counter-drone system with hard kill capability is the Israeli General Robotics Pitbull AD (siliconchip.com.au/link/ aaow) which uses a 5.56mm or 7.62mm machine gun to destroy drones and has other capabilities as well. See the videos titled “Rafael ‘Drone Dome’” via siliconchip.com.au/link/ aaox (showing the destruction of a drone with the laser), “Rafael’s Horowitz: Drone Dome’s Light Beam Helps It Quickly Defeat Long-Range Threats” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaoy (an interview) and “Drone Dome 360° airspace defence against hostile drones” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aaoz Iron Dome Rafael (www.rafael.co.il) had other offerings on display, including Iron Dome, which is a missile system designed to intercept and destroy incoming enemy rockets and artillery shells (Fig.25). Fig.22: the giant Freespace drone racing course in Barcelona. It has an operating range of 4-70km. In military parlance, it is known as a C-RAM system for Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar. Iron Dome is combat-proven with over 1500 successful interceptions since it was introduced in 2011. It is the only such combat-proven system in operation in the world. Its missiles are guided toward an airborne threat and they explode in its vicinity, to detonate the incoming warhead outside the defended area. During flight, the Iron Dome interceptor receives trajectory updates from a Battle Management Centre via a data link. It is designed only to intercept threats heading toward the defended area, as it is pointless intercepting a threat that will land in an unoccupied location. See the videos via siliconchip.com. au/link/aap0 and siliconchip.com.au/ link/aap1 C-Dome is a sea-based variant of the Iron Dome designed to protect ships and other maritime assets. Iron Dome is part of a multi-level air defence system being developed or in operation, which combines it with the following additional systems: • Iron Beam, a defensive laser weapon designed to shoot down shortrange rockets, artillery, and mortars which are too small or too close for Iron Dome, with a range of up to 7km • Barak 8, jointly developed with India, which is a point-defence system which can defend against any airborne threat such as aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, UAVs and ballistic missiles with a range of 500m to 100km • the Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system with a range of 90km150km • David’s Sling, which is designed to intercept enemy planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium to long-range rockets and cruise missiles at ranges of 40-300km • the Arrow 3 ABM with a range thought to be about 2400km Freespace giant drone racing Freespace Drone Racing (https:// freespaceracing.com) is an Australian company that is involved in develop- Fig.25 (left): an Iron Dome missile on display at the Airshow. It is used for intercepting inbound rockets, artillery and mortar rounds. Fig.26 (right): a Freespace FS1 giant racing drone. It is 1.3m tall and weighs over 25kg, with a top speed of 220km/h. The drone is shown in its flight orientation, with its wings aligned with the direction of airflow from the rotors. 20 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au Fig.23: a video screen grab showing the automatic identification of sharks and a surfer. The system can distinguish between sharks, whales and dolphins, even though the shapes may be quite indistinct. ing the sport of drone racing and advancing it to a higher level. They have developed racing drones that are of a “giant” size, making them suitable for commercial sponsors, due to the availability of easily-seen advertising space on the drone bodies. The large size also makes them much more visible to viewers. Anyone who has watched a conventional drone race will realise that they can be tough to see due to their small size and high speed. Freespace have developed a racing “experience” geared to Millenials and Generation Z and have also entered into an agreement with FAI, the World Air Sports Federation, the international governing body for air sports and also Greyhound Clubs Australia to utilise their tracks for racing (Fig.22). The Freespace-developed FS500class drone is 500mm long, weighs under 2kg, has a top speed of 120km/h and a 0-100km/h time under one second. They are also developing the FS1 which is 1300mm long, weighs over 25kg, has a top speed of 220km/h and a 0-160km/h time under four seconds. Giant drone racing is somewhat remi- Fig.24: the Little Ripper is a hexacopter which can carry a rescue pod, slung beneath it towards the rear. niscent of the pod races from the movie “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace”. See the video titled “Giant Drone Exhibition Race - FS500 - FAI 2018 BDWC F3U” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aap2 Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver The Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver (https://thelittleripper.com.au) is the name given to not one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone but a suite of them, used for search, rescue and lifesaving operations. SharkSpotter was developed with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and uses artificial intelligence to detect sharks. A UAV flies around the protected area and if sharks are detected, it can hover over the location and emit an audible warning for swimmers to vacate the water. Sharks can be identified with an accuracy of 90% (see Fig.23). The system can be fitted to a helicopter or hexacopter UAV (Fig.24) or any other type of UAV. See the videos titled “Little Ripper Lifesaver Drones Spot Sharks Electronically” via siliconchip. com.au/link/aap3 and “‘Little Ripper’ drone to spot sharks and save lives in Australia” via siliconchip.com.au/ link/aap4 Little Ripper Lifesavers can also be used to drop rescue packages, called “pods”, to distressed persons. Pods are specialised for marine, land or snow rescues and can contain items like an automatic external defibrillator, water activated personal floatation device, electromagnetic shark repellent or personal survival kits containing an EPIRB, water, thermal blanket, radio, first aid etc. The world’s first rescue with a UAV was at Lennox Head (NSW) in January 2018. See the video titled “Westpac Little Ripper - Lennox Heads rescue” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aap5 Two more videos on the Little Ripper can be seen via siliconchip.com. au/link/aap6 and siliconchip.com.au/ link/aap7 There are opportunities to become a Little Ripper Lifesaver pilot. See their website (link above) for details. Monash UAS Monash UAS is a student-run organisation at Monash University that designs, builds and competes with UAVs. Fig.27: Opticor lightweight transparent armour from PPG Industries. Fig.28: Farbod Torabi (L) and Lachlan Cunningham (R) from the Monash UAS team, with their highest-ranking UAV from the 2018 UAV Medical Express competition. The wings provide lift for forward flight while the four rotors allow for vertical takeoff and landing. siliconchip.com.au Australia’s electronics magazine May 2019  21 Fig.30 (above) and 31 (opposite): the Australian-developed HyperHalo petrol-powered drone. It can carry a payload of up to 10kg and has a four hour flight time, Fig.29: the RMIT UAS Research Team display, with the Black Kite on the right. They had on show their highestscoring entry from the 2018 UAV Medical Express Challenge (https:// uavchallenge.org/) – see Fig.28. The mission was to “retrieve a blood sample from Outback Joe at his farm and in doing that they had to land within 10m of a visual target. Their aircraft had to fly at least 12 nautical miles from the Base of operations to Joe’s farm, and back (24 nau- tical miles in total, which is approximately 44.5km).” You can follow the UAS team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ MonashUAS/ RMIT UAS Research Team The RMIT UAS (unmanned aerial system) Research Team (http://ruasrt. com) is a multidisciplinary research team that conducts research into “the critical technical, operational, social and safety challenges facing the emerging UAS sector”. One of their offerings was the Black Kite, an all-weather UAS that can operate in harsh environments including winds up to 40 knots (74km/h), is suitable for use in a maritime environment, has a 3.5kg payload capacity, a 25 minute flight time, 3.5km range, is capable of ditching in water and has a dash speed of up to 50 knots (93km/h) – see Fig.29. Its standard payloads include a UAV Vision CM132A imaging system with 30x optical zoom (3x optical zoom for infrared) and a two-axis gimbal; and a Foxtech Seeker-30 imaging system with 30x optical zoom and a threeaxis gimbal. ty, has an engine capacity of 26-32cc and a rotor width of about 2m (see Figs.30 & 31). In addition to its uniquely long endurance for a vertical lift drone, it has other features such as virtual thrust vectoring due to its three variable pitch “thrust rotors”, one of which is located beneath each of the three variable pitch main rotors (Fig.32). This gives unprecedented control of the vehicle, and it can fly fast in forward flight and is very stable in adverse wind conditions. It has three flight modes: • aeroplane mode, where it operates similarly to an aircraft with bank, roll, pitch and yaw authority; • helicopter mode, where it can operate with pirouette and high-torque yaw authority; and • UFO mode, where the drone operates in a combination of aeroplane mode and helicopter mode, with the addition of virtual thrust vectoring. In the event of an engine failure, the drone will auto-rotate to land like HyperHalo drone The HyperHalo (www.hyperhalo.com) is an Australian-developed petrol-powered drone that can carry a payload of up to 10kg and has a four hour flight time, or longer with a lighter payload. It weighs 13.5kg empFig.33 (left): a space suit, as currently used on the International Space Station. Fig.34 (right): the Generation III combat helmet. 22 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au Fig.32 (right): a close-up view of the HyperHalo rotor mechanism. a traditional helicopter; a regular vertical-lift drone without variable pitch rotors cannot do this. Spacesuit A NASA space suit or “Enhanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit” was on display at the Collins Aerospace stand, as used on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (Fig.33). Each suit can protect against micrometeoroids travelling at up to 27,000km/h, temperatures between -156°C and 121°C, contains 91m of coolant tubing and comprises 18,000 parts. The suit is manufactured by ILC Dover and its life support systems by the Collins subsidiary of UTC Aerospace Systems. Generation III combat helmet The Smart Think company (https:// thesmartthink.com) is an Austral- ian/Singaporean venture to produce state-of-the-art defence products and is working with Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials (www. deakin.edu.au/ifm) and the Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC; www.dmtc.com.au) to produce a Generation III combat helmet for the military. The helmet is offered in two different materials: UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) or aramid (commonly known by the tradename Kevlar) – see Fig.34. The key advantage of these helmets is that they can be manufactured in an automated fashion, without splicing the fibre layers, which is usually required in highly curved composites made of these materials, because they are so stiff and difficult to form at tight radii. The ability to manufacture with single sheets of reinforcement results in significant reductions in weight, reduced deformation on impact and gives improvements in structural performance and quality control. transferring the load directly through the exoskeleton to the ground. It works via a system of counterweights to keep the worker steady, and was initially designed for frontal loads only (Fig.35). Lockheed Martin has partnered with the Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) at Deakin University to extend the capability of the device, to allow the carriage of large posterior loads such as oxygen tanks and heavy backpacks over 30kg for the mining industry, and in particular, diamond mining. IISRI’s research involves the design and fabrication of attachments via 3D printing and determining stress and strain distribution within them via computational methods. This is followed by human performance analysis involving mobility assessment, load transfer and safety with techniques such as motion tracking, electromyography, biomechanics and electrocardiogram measurements. FORTIS exoskeleton The Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter was presented at the airshow as a scale model. It is a twin- FORTIS is a passive (non-powered) exoskeleton device produced and sold by Lockheed Martin, designed to assist workers to handle heavy tools by Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter Fig.35 (left): the FORTIS exoskeleton enables workers to hold heavy tools (up to 16kg) effortlessly and results in greatly reduced muscle fatigue. Deakin IISRI researchers are looking at ways to extend its capabilities. Fig.36 (right): a model of the SB-1 helicopter. siliconchip.com.au Australia’s electronics magazine May 2019  23 Fig.37: the Textron Systems Aerosonde HQ SUAS is visible at the top of this photo. It has four vertical lift rotors for vertical takeoff and landing, plus wings and a pusher prop for forward flight. rotor design with a pusher propeller. It is still under development – see Fig.36 and the video titled “Sikorsky - Boeing Future Vertical Lift: The Way Forward” avi: siliconchip.com. au/link/aap8 VTOL kit for Textron Aerosonde Aerosonde Pty Ltd was an Australian-owned company, but it is now owned by Textron Systems in the USA (it still has Australian headquarters). The original Aerosonde company is now called Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd. It is offering a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) kit to existing customers of their Aerosonde SUAS (small unmanned aerial system). The platform becomes the Aerosonde HQ (Hybrid Quadrotor) after the addition of the conversion kit, which consists of twin booms, each with two vertical lift rotors and batteries (Fig.37). Once the aircraft is in forward flight, the four rotors rotate to align with the Fig.38: a close-up of the engine in the civilian version of Aerosonde. flight direction, to minimise air resistance. It has a Lycoming EL-005 75cc heavy fuel engine, allowing it to make a transition from vertical to forward flight at around 15-50m altitude and giving an endurance of eight hours with a 4.5kg payload, a service ceiling of 10,000ft (3000m) and a cruise speed of 45-65 knots (83-120km/h). Aerosonde UAVs (not necessarily the HQ model) are used by many customers including the Australian Army, the US Marine Corps, US Air Force and US Special Operations Command. They also have commercial users such as the oil and gas industry (Fig.38). Applications include day and night full-motion video capture, communications relay and special intelligence payloads; these can all be conducted on the one flight if necessary. See the video titled “Aerosonde HQ Advantages” via siliconchip.com.au/ link/aap9 Raytheon Coyote The Raytheon Coyote is a low-cost, tube-launched expendable unmanned aerial system that is also capable of being launched in multiple units as a “swarm” (see Fig.39). This is known as LOCUST (LOw-Cost Uav Swarm Technology). Coyote can be used to destroy other unmanned aerial systems using a seeker and warhead, or can be launched as a swarm for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance duties. It has also been used to acquire information about hurricanes. See the video titled “LOCUST Demo” via siliconchip.com.au/link/aapa Australian Army, Navy and Air Force drone racing teams A drone racing program was hosted at the Airshow with teams from the Army, Navy and Air Force, plus a New Zealand military team as well as some others (Fig.40). The events were held in a 10,000m3 arena. Drone racing is authorised and even encouraged by the Australian Army and the first ever Military International Drone Racing Tournament (www.army.gov.au/MIDRT) was held SC in Sydney in October 2018. Fig.39 (left): the Raytheon Coyote, a low-cost, tube-launched expendable unmanned aerial system. Fig.40 (right): a member of the Army drone racing team at the Drone Arena 24 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au