Following the recent announcement of the fixed wing SIRIUS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Position Partners has extended its aerial mapping range with a complementary new rotary-blade UAV for Australia, the Aibot X6 by Aibotix.
“The Aibot X6 enables detailed inspections or aerial surveys of hard-to-reach areas such as bridges, pipelines, power lines and rail tracks,” said Garry MacPhail, survey business manager at Position Partners.
“The Aibot X6 is a very flexible, robust option that can be used for aerial mapping, imaging, filming, asset inspection and even thermography.”
Unlike fixed-wing UAV, the Aibot X6 operates via six propellers, which are positioned in a hexagonal shape above the camera and are protected by a unique, lightweight yet robust carbon fibre housing.
The propellers enable movement in every direction, vertically and horizontally, allowing for greater flexibility during flight and the ability to hover in a fixed position when required.
In addition, the camera mount mechanism includes automated pitch and roll compensation as well as the option to switch between vertical and horizontal camera positions during flight for multiple-perspective image capture.
The Aibot X6 can fly autonomously to a pre-programmed flight path, or alternatively it can be controlled manually via a tablet PC or remote control unit. It comes with built-in collision avoidance and automatic distance control, with on-board sensors that enable the user to fly close to a surface without bumping into it.
As the on-board camera is mounted outside of the UAV frame, a wide range of options is available to suit the purpose of the flight, from thermographic to DSLR cameras and also video cameras. There is even the option to transmit a live video broadcast to a ground station or video display goggles to enable real-time viewing.
“We are thrilled to announce our distribution agreement with Position Partners,” said Joerg Lamprecht, Aibotix CEO. “The Aibot X6 is designed for such a wide range of applications within the construction, engineering, surveying and mining industries that it was important to find a partner that specialises in all of these markets.”
