Initially it was thought that the pandemic was pushing experimental use of robots and drones, but in actuality, the revolution had already begun. While recent uses include disinfecting medical facilities, sanitizing public surfaces, monitoring for temperatures, and delivering medical, PPE and other essential supplies, drone and robot use was already present in many areas and continues to grow quickly.
- Construction. Drones are used for inspecting bridges and replacing traditional land-surveillance methods.
- Transportation. From autonomous driving rail system surveying, highway traffic monitoring and accident overviews, technology is being used to monitor, measure and manage how we move to and from in our daily lives.
- Mapping. Documentation and recording utilizing LiDar and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to capture mapping for terrain, mobile devices and autonomous vehicles are growing trends as we move into the future of automation.
- Farming. Many farmers are using drones to measure and analyze the health of crops. Farmers are already using tractors and harvesters that are self-guided by GPS.
- Oil and gas. Drones are used in the oil and gas industry for remote monitoring and surveillance, including infrastructure, equipment, tankers, and trucks, as well as to inspect unmanned production platforms.
- Real estate. An aerial view of a property location can show potential buyers a more accurate and scenic view.
- Military. Drones and robots can be used to assess dangerous situations.
- Health care. Robotic advances in health care include surgery, rehabilitation, and therapy.
- Consumer deliveries. Retail business and restaurants have been preparing for the implementation of delivery robots and the pandemic has accelerated the timetable.
The Challenge is Quickly Increasing
Quick, immediate access is needed to keep up with demand as manufacturers continue to develop new innovations
Photo: Dzmitry Palubiatka / Adobe Stock
The rapidly multiplying use of robots and drones has created a need for quick turnaround and easy-to-use, standard sensors and navigation systems for new prototypes. Quick, immediate access is needed to keep up with demand as manufacturers develop new innovations. Manufacturers are looking for plug-and-play solutions to aid them with their creations, without the time to re-invent the sensor, that will reduce product development schedules by reducing risk and focusing resources on the final product and not re-inventing sensors and navigation systems.
Faster Solutions
The latest Parker LORD solution is the MicroStrain® 3DMGQ7-GNSS/INS inertial sensor aided navigation system and state-of-the art RTK Modem. These all-in-one solutions eliminate programming time. Combined with the included Robot Operating System (ROS) driver, this allows a flexible framework for writing robot software and become the standard platform for creating and deploying prototypes faster. ROS can be used in building and simulating robotics applications and unmanned ground vehicle missions. It is the standard platform for many developers working on simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and all other robotic applications. To facilitate better integration within the ROS ecosystem, Parker LORD has an open source, free (MIT License) series of drivers designed and tested for ROS. The drivers are updated and supported to provide the best integration for users.
How COVID-19 is Driving Robot and Drone Innovations | Tune into this presentation for a look at how technology is evolving in response to COVID-19 and how companies can get their products to market, quicker, with the right technology in place. Watch now.
Why is this Important?
Out of the box, the 3DMGQ7 provides easy-to-use, high accuracy position, velocity, and attitude estimates at rates up to 1 kHz. The accuracy is at the top of its class, with up to 2-cm positional accuracy, 0.05 m/s velocity accuracy, 0.1-degree roll/pitch accuracy and 0.25 degree heading accuracy with dual-antenna GNSS.
Photo: goodluz / Adobe Stock
The GQ7 delivers accurate positioning for drones, unmanned vehicle navigation, wheeled and legged robots and autonomous vehicles. As this is an integrated GNSS/INS navigation sensor with native RTK capability, you can expect excellent performance even when satellite signals are poor or obstructed. It provides global multiband RTK coverage and calibrated temperature performance, delivering high accuracy results under all environmental conditions while fitting into a small, lightweight package. Combined with the SensorCloud™ RTK network service and cellular enabled RTK modem (3DMRTK), the 3DMGQ7-GNSS/INS and 3DMRTK make a complete out-of-the-box, advanced, navigation solution.
Learn more about the 3DMGQ7-GNSS/INS and 3DMRTK and other MicroStrain inertial sensing solutions.
Header image: Parker Lord
This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with Parker LORD. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The GPS World editorial staff did not create this content.
