Procerus Technologies releases major product upgrades

OREM, Utah. Oct. 01, 2005 — Procerus Technologies today announced the release of the Kestrel™ Autopilot version 2.2 and the Virtual Cockpit™ 2.0 ground control application.

The Kestrel Autopilot is an intelligent, lightweight autopilot solution for mini and micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It is small, reliable, and easily integrated. Yet it sacrifices nothing for its weight-cutting, size-shaving design while integrating all sensors into a neat, elegant hardware package.

The Kestrel Autopilot System provides autonomous flight control of attitude, altitude, and GPS waypoint navigation as well as autonomous take-off, flight, and auto-landing routines and pilot-in-the-loop control. The autopilot software includes servo loops, Kalman filters, and communication protocols. Its sensors are 3-axis rate gyros and accelerometers for attitude estimation, differential and absolute air pressure sensors for airspeed and altitude measurement. It is a small, low-power solution that provides real-time trajectory generation and tracking and simple intuitive user interfaces.

The Virtual Cockpit 2.0 ground control application allows the user to interact with UAVs in a variety of different modes that include stick & rudder, altitude-heading-velocity commands, and dynamic waypoint specification, while providing easy to use interfaces for Mode support, flight and mission planning, execution and monitoring.

Procerus is focused on intelligent, autonomous guidance and control systems for mini and micro UAVs as well as enhancing the overall user experience (ease of use) and utility of micro UAVs. We have developed what we believe is the smallest, lightest, full-featured mini autopilot in the world (16.7 grams. At this size and weight, the autopilot enables mini UAVs smaller than 12 inches to perform useful surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. This has resulted in a unique competitive position and market opportunity.

Our goal is to raise the awareness and importance of the autopilot, specifically the Kestrel Autopilot, as the core element in successful mini and micro UAV programs by demonstrating that size, weight, a robust feature set, and ease of integration are inextricably connected to successful UAV solutions. We believe it matters to our customers. The Kestrel Autopilot System is particularly well suited for mini and micro level UAVs.

Kestrel™ Autopilot v2.2

The latest Kestrel autopilot now includes an onboard magnetometer, wind estimation, a more accurate and higher level temperature compensation routine (20 points), easy to use Mode support, user configurable failsafes, and a host of other software upgrades.

• 16.65 grams (2” x 1.37” x “.47”)
• Fits within 2.73 in 2 Area & 1.29 in 3 Volume
• 3-Axis Angular Rate and Measurement and
• 3-Axis Acceleration Measurement
• 2-Axis Magnetometer
• Absolute and Differential Pressure Sensors
• 20 Point Sensor Temperature Compensation
• External Power @ 3.3V & 5V, 500mA
• Efficient Switching Power Regulation
• Battery Voltage and Current Monitor
• 29MHz Processor w/ 512K RAM & FLASH
• 4 Serial Ports (Std.,SPI,I2C) w/ Digital Clock or I/O
• 4 Standard Servo Ports
• 12 Digital I/O (6 bi-directional, 3 input, 3 output)
• 3 Analog Inputs @ 12bit resolution
• Optional Piggy-Back Modem Header
• Wind Estimation
• Multi-UAV support
• Auto-trim

Virtual Cockpit™ v2.0

This release of the Virtual Cockpit represents a significant upgrade - targeting non-engineers and non RC pilots with ease of use, uncluttered interfaces, major new features and integration as our focus.

• Simplified user interfaces - “click ‘n fly” operation made easy
• Geo-referenced maps
• Easy to use Mode support
• Point and click waypoint editing
• Intuitive Flight Planning - easy waypoint placement (click and drag), management, & editing
• In-flight mission reprogramming and waypoint uploading - dynamic re-tasking & adjustment
• In-flight gain tuning
• Flight plan save / retrieve
• Precision on-board data logging
• User configurable failsafes
• Integrated video capture and still shots (text / data overlays)
• Telemetry data playback from within Virtual Cockpit
• Flight timer
• Multi-agent – very easy to fly multiple UAVs (again, fully autonomously or with pilot-in-the-loop) while receiving and monitoring real time UAV status (battery voltage, telemetry, etc)
• User configurable failsafes.
• Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation
• Convoy Following capabilities
• Integration/ Configuration – overall configuration, Sensors, Servo and Warning setup screens

Integration and Configuration:

The Procerus "Time to Flight" initiative reduces the complexities of integration and configuration.

What's important to integrators:  1) robust guidance and control.  2) easy and successful integration and configuration. 3) repeatability.

We've focused on the steps and activities related to successful and "repeatable" UAV operation by reducing the complexities and time required for autopilot integration and configuration enabling quick tuning of the Kestrel autopilot for particular airframe(s), thereby speeding  successful "time to flight".  This means getting in the air quicker with a more reliable and robust solution.

Procerus Technologies

Procerus Technologies, makers of the world's smallest, lightest (16.65 grams), full-featured autopilot for mini and micro UAVs. Procerus is focused on intelligent, autonomous guidance and control systems for mini and micro UAVs as well as enhancing the overall user experience (ease of use) and utility of micro UAVs. Procerus is also a leading developer and manufacturer of ground control software, the Virtual Cockpit, and associated hardware. www.procerusuav.com.

Procerus is a trademark or registered trademark of Procerus Technologies in the United States and other countries.