Research

PinnaclX is constantly innovating to expand the capabilities of our sUAS fleet to provide the best inspection services to our clients. By researching unmanned vehicles in a variety of platforms, we can provide the fastest and most accurate inspections to meet your company’s needs. Our engineers invest in developing inspection vehicles of the future, unlike other companies that just buy ready-made vehicles from online vendors. PinnaclX’s research group is led by Dr. Alfred Gates, a commercial helicopter pilot and professor of aeronautics at Central Connecticut State University Department of Engineering.

 The innovation of PinnaclX vehicles is based-on three decades worth of aerospace research for universities, private industries, and governmental organizations. PinnaclX designs, manufactures, and maintains aircraft with platforms that include quadcopters with 4 propellers, multirotor vehicles with 6 or more propellers, and fixed-wing aircraft. Each platform design offers different capabilities: quadcopters provide nimble flight patterns, multirotor vehicles can carry large payloads such as cameras and sensors, and fixed-wing aircraft can provide longer flight times over longer distances as compared to other platforms. 

Multirotor Research

We design and manufacture our own aircraft using data from our research programs. The Chameleon aircraft is the result of extensive flight tests next to energized lines starting from platform hover testing on a non-grounded, high voltage (HV) barehand utility bucket truck. Those initial tests won the approval from the FAA to experiment with a baseline aircraft back in June 2014 with Central Connecticut State University Department of Engineering. Since then extensive tests of the baseline aircraft and payloads were performed to determined the necessary parameters to maximize high voltage transmission and distribution power line inspection capabilities. Several parameters that needed to be addressed were flight in high electromagnetic fields (EMF), autopilot IMU EMF interference, prevention of line arcing to the aircraft, wind turbulence from wires and structures, updrafts, down drafts, GPS signal problems, flight from confined areas, and aircraft size. As a result we have developed a compact, highly maneuverable aircraft capable of flight in 25 mph wind gusts and can hover for extended periods of time in a high electromagnetic field, high temperature, and high humidity conditions. Unlike other companies that just buy their sUAS from online vendors, our engineers will continue to invest a significant amount of time and resources to further develop the technology.

PinnaclX’s fleet of autonomous UAS vehicles are designed to meet specific inspection needs and can reach transmission structure points not accessible by helicopter, bucket trucks, or linemen. The UAS can fly any distance from wires and within 2 ft. of hardware to position the vehicle to get the best high-resolution and thermal images, video, and location information. The UAS have six flight modes such as hands-off flying (autonomous flight), inspection, takeoff/landing, and return home. The vehicles have a flight range of over 1 mile VLOS to 1/4 mile in high EMF effected areas such as substations and multiple 345KV lines. The UAS are able to take off/land on sloped surfaces covered in brush within a 9 sq ft area. PinnaclX Chameleon sUAS programmable vehicle weighs less than 3.8 lbs., takes 20MP photos, and has a flight duration of 12-20min.

The Chameleon sUAS is the result of extensive flight testing and is commonly used during inspections. This compact, highly maneuverable aircraft is capable of flight in 25 mph wind gusts and can hover for extended periods of time in high voltage, 345KV EMF. The vehicle can collect images from different cameras and sensors within high-electromagnetic fields, in conditions of high temperatures and humidity.

UAS Research and Development

PinnaclX has now received several funded sUAS contracts as a consultant and as a subcontractor with federal agencies which include the ARMY, NAVY, and NASA. Many of the contracts involve research with fixed wing sUAS involving software development, platform design, and flight testing to aide in the commercial development process. A summary of a few of the contracts include developmental efforts of an advanced aircraft that can adapt and recalibrate itself in the event of a structural and/or control surface failure in flight to continue flying. Additional development includes software that will decided whether to continue a mission, go back to a starting point, or land at the current location. Finally, the software will enable the aircraft to land in an open area in the event of an emergency.

Fixed Wing Research

Members of the Pinnacl X team have been involved with fixed wing sUAS research and development since 2006 in academia. Some of fixed wing platforms developed and flight tested include a pneumatic launched sUAS, high flight time sUAS, and a modular sUAS autopilot system.

A pneumatically launched .6 Lb. sUAS was developed to extend the range of a surveillance flight. The launcher is air powered and the sUAS folds up into a 2 in. inner-diameter launch tube. Using a powered launcher allows the vehicle to gain altitude and range without using powered flight, which allows for longer recognizance missions.  The pneumatic launched sUAS can be projected over 100 ft. from dense brush and has a flight time of over 30 minutes. The vehicle has 2 video links to enable long range surveillance.

An ultra-endurance and pack-able vehicle was developed in 2008. The vehicle weighed less than 1 lb. and could fly for over 1.5 hrs. with three video links. The aircraft could be disassembled and stowed in a backpack for covert control of the vehicle. This vehicle leveraged PinnaclX’s modular sUAS autopilot system that could be installed on many frames with minor program changes.

 The modular sUAS autopilot system was the development of software that enabled the autopilot to be installed in almost any off the shelf remote control aircraft and turn them into autonomous aircraft with minor program changes. The autopilot system was installed, tuned, and flight tested in over 20 different off the shelf remote control aircraft including flying wings, gliders, foam aircraft, and 3D aircraft.

Lidar

PinnaclX has been evaluating the DJI Livox MID-40 Lidar system and the Velodyne Puck to be integrated with our larger aircraft for utility asset inspection. The final outcome of our systems development will be a long-range aircraft used for ground and above ground imagery. This will allow us to generate a 3D map of the vegetation and surface conditions below existing distribution and transmission lines.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

PinnaclX is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) capability to review the inspection photos from the ground and air from the 1.2 million photos taken over the years. Data bases are being developed that represents; damaged hardware, woodpeckers holes, broken insulators, conductor damage, and structural problems. Future inspection photos will automatically compared with the AI data bases through sMAP. In 2021 we plan on implementing the AI inspection software to identify common problems with transmission structures.

Utility Asset Inspection

PinnaclX designs and manufactures our own sUAS platforms using data from our research programs. We also modify commercially available multirotor aircraft to enable them to operate in electromagnetic fields, at night, and for longer distances. Our very own sUAS platform, The Chameleon, is the result of extensive flight tests next to power lines. The first test took place in 2014 when we began hover testing the Chameleon on a non-grounded, high voltage barehand utility bucket truck. Those initial tests awarded us approval from the FAA to experiment for a baseline Chameleon aircraft with Central Connecticut State University Department of Engineering. Since then extensive tests of the baseline aircraft were performed to perfect it for use in power line inspection. Certain parameters needed to be addressed and changed. We changed the parameters of the autopilot associated with the inertial measuring unit (IMU)  and the GPS in order to allow them to withstand electromagnetic field (EMF) interference and made adjustments to prevent line arcing to the aircraft. We also modified the Chameleon to be more stable in wind turbulence, updrafts, and downdrafts, all of which occur often around wires and structures. Finally we adjusted the size and proportions of the Chamelelon resulting in a compact, highly maneuverable aircraft capable of flight in 25 mph wind gusts that can hover for extended periods of time in a high EMF conditions, high temperature, and high humidity. The research and development of the Chameleon has also enabled PinnaclX to modify commercially available sUAS for additional utility inspection applications. Unlike other companies that just buy their sUAS from online vendors, our engineers will continue to invest time and resources into further developing our technology.

PinnaclX’s fleet of autonomous sUAS platforms are designed to meet specific inspection needs and can reach transmission structure points not accessible by helicopter, bucket trucks, or linemen. The sUAS can fly any distance from wires and within two feet of hardware to position the aircraft and get the best high-resolution images, thermal images, video, and/or location information. In some inspections the remote pilot has been positioned over 1 mile away from the aircraft (within visual line of sight). Our sUAS platforms have six flight modes that include hands-off flying mode (autonomous flight), inspection mode, takeoff and landing mode, and return home mode. Our aircrafts have a flight range of 1.5 miles (within visual line of sight) over right of ways, and ½ of a mile in high EMF affected areas such as areas surrounding substations and areas containing multiple 345KV lines. The sUAS are capable of taking off and landing on sloped surfaces covered in brush within a 9 square foot area and have a flight duration of approximately 25 minutes. 

Flight Control Software Development

Successful autonomous flight software must guide the vehicles through a specified path and respond in real-time to unexpected disturbances caused by environmental sources such as wind gusts and vegetation growth. A highly-developed autopilot software to control sUAS is the backbone of safe and accurate flight.

PinnaclX’s modular autopilot system enables an autopilot to be installed in almost any consumer off-the-shelf (COTS) remote control aircraft and turn the vehicle into an autonomous aircraft. The modular autopilot has been field tested on 18 different COTS aircraft ranging from flying wings, gliders, quadcopters, and multirotor. These vehicles have been used as research platforms for ARMY, NAVY, and NASA projects.

PinnaclX modular autopilot system can be used as a platform to develop more robust flight operations and interpret the world around. PinnaclX investigated the development of self-directed flightpath software that could assess environmental and situational conditions of a mission and decided whether to continue a mission, go back to a starting point, or land at the current location. Self-directed flightpath software would be ideal for emergency landing situations that would enable the aircraft to land in an open or safe area after an unexpected flight event.

Another research study investigated the development of a self-healing sUAS. The self-healing software used a real-time adaptive controller that allowed the vehicle to continue flying even after failure. Therefore, the aircraft could adapt and recalibrate after experiencing a structural and/or control-surface failure during flight.