UAVOS Inc. has introduced a simulator for its customers that can be used to test UAVOS autopilot control capabilities of different types of unmanned vehicles in different weather conditions.

Equipped with special software, as well as software for the ground control station that UAVOS developed, the simulator facilitates trial flights of UAS in a virtual environment before the start of their production. The results of the virtual flight tests can inform the necessary modifications of a UAS’ design.

UAVOS notes that the ground part of its automatic control system software is equipped with the integrated software block needed to simulate flight in the virtual environment, as well as the use of the “automatic control system hardware with the connection of the real autopilot (with imitated substitution of the autopilot sensor data by the flight simulator data).”

“Virtual models built with a high degree of conformity to the future or a real aircraft make it possible to almost perfectly set up the autopilot and test all flight modes, take-off and landing modes for both airplane-type UAVs and helicopters, copters, dirigibles and other non-standard types of aircraft,” explains Aliaksei Stratsilatau, chairman of the board and lead developer.

“This procedure allows to perform the first flight immediately in automatic mode and reduces the risk of loss of the equipment at the flight test stage during critical flight or operating modes in strong wind and turbulence.”

According to UAVOS, the accuracy of UAS settings in a virtual environment with a correctly constructed model and correctly entered data is approximately 95 percent.

UAVOS says that the final setting of the autopilot is performed in the first flight during the execution of a special program known as the “calibration flight,” which has a duration of approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

UAVOS notes that one important feature of this function is the “possibility of visualization of actually performed flights in the simulator,” which helps with the training or analysis of flight incidents, and the analysis of operator actions.