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InstantEye Mk-3 GEN4-D1 sUAS Technical Manual

Revision M1.2

August 14, 2019

ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED

Page 1

InstantEye Mk-3 GEN4-D1

Product Manual

Revision M1.2

August 14, 2019

Summary of Contents for Mk-3 GEN4-D1

Page 1: ...1 sUAS Technical Manual Revision M1 2 August 14 2019 COPYRIGHT 2018 InstantEye Robotics a division of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 1 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 Product Manual Revision M1 2 August 14 2019 ...

Page 2: ...lations and other guidelines applicable to unmanned aerial vehicle UAV operators Operators should be familiar with 14 CFR91 111 Operating Near Other Aircraft 14 CFR 91 113 Right of Way Rules 14 CFR 91 155 Basic VFR Weather Minimums and any other applicable regulations Additionally UAV operators may be subject to Department of Defense DoD micro unmanned aerial system regulations or other installati...

Page 3: ...11 1 8 Spares Kit 12 2 Safety 13 2 1 General Operations Safety 13 2 2 Aircraft Safety 13 2 3 Battery Safety 14 3 System Operation 15 3 1 Overview 15 3 1 1 Aircraft 15 3 1 2 Ground Control System 16 3 1 3 GCS Interface 17 3 1 4 Flight Modes Overview 18 3 1 5 InstantEye Application On Screen Display 19 3 1 6 Radio Frequencies 24 3 2 Pre Flight 25 3 2 1 Conditions Check 25 3 2 2 System Inspection 26 ...

Page 4: ...t Gps Fix 43 4 5 Compass Heading Error 43 4 6 Flight Time Remaining is Critically Low 43 4 7 Collision Imminent and Unavoidable 44 4 8 GCS is Powered Off While Aircraft is in Flight 44 4 9 High Wind 44 5 Stowage 45 6 Maintenance 47 6 1 Aircraft Maintenance 47 6 2 GCS Maintenance 49 6 3 Battery and Battery Charger Maintenance 49 6 4 Tablet Charging 53 7 Payloads 54 7 1 IR Floodlight Payload 54 7 2 ...

Page 5: ...s a division of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 5 8 9 Aircraft Pulls to One Direction Consistently 62 9 Quick Start Guide 63 9 1 Prepare Tablet for Use 63 9 2 Wait for System to Pair 63 9 3 View Video Feed 64 9 4 Fly the System 64 10 Warranty 65 11 Revision Log 66 12 Reference Material 67 ...

Page 6: ...weather conditions especially wind heat and humidity and any payload in use The system is capable of flying in inclement weather including winds up to 35 mph heavy rain snow altitudes up to 12 000 feet above mean sea level MSL and temperatures between 10 F and 120 F The system s autopilot flight controls and human robot interface have lineage from the combat proven InstantEye Mk 2 GEN3 and Mk 2 GE...

Page 7: ... Figure 1 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 system with transit case and soft case 1 1 Aircraft The InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 aircraft is a small all electric hand launched recovered unmanned quadrotor aerial vehicle Figure 2 It comes standard with a gimbaled two camera EO IR video camera pod See Section 7 Payloads pg 54 for details on each payload Figure 2 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 aircraft ...

Page 8: ...sed viewing device in a ruggedized case with a sunshade Figure 3 The system is operable with Nett Warrior and Android Tactical Assault Kit ATAK Video from the aircraft can be recorded directly to the GCS D memory Figure 3 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 Ground Control System 1 3 Transit Hard Case The transit case Figure 4 made of high performance injection molded plastic with customized foam inserts is de...

Page 9: ... tablet and cables and up to six batteries The case minimizes weight for field operations while still providing protection from damage The cases are available in a variety of colors based on the application multicam coyote and black Figure 5 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 soft case shown in MultiCam 1 5 Batteries 1 3 Ah 5 7 Ah The InstantEye Mk 3 GCS D batteries are Lithium Polymer Li Po batteries The 1 3 A...

Page 10: ...l Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 10 Figure 7 GEN4 D1 5 7 Ah aircraft battery 1 6 Battery Charger The InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 battery charger consists of a charge module AC DC module battery charging cradle battery balancing cable x2 and a battery charge adapter Figure 8 Figure 8 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 battery charger ...

Page 11: ...s Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 11 1 7 Charger Interface Cable for BA 5590 BB 2590 This interface cable Figure 9 enables the InstantEye batteries to be charged directly from a user provided BA 5590 or BB 2590 battery instead of the 12 V 5 A power supply provided as part of the system Figure 9 BA 5590 and BB 2590 charger interface cable ...

Page 12: ...e easily replaced by the operator in the field The kit consists of Replaceable motor assembly O QTY 2 Replaceable motor assembly X QTY 2 Motor screw QTY 16 note these come pre installed in the motors Propeller kit QTY 1 Propeller O QTY 2 Propeller X QTY 2 Propeller nut QTY 4 Screwdriver 1 Phillips QTY 1 Nut Driver 10 mm QTY 1 for ISR 8mm for HL Figure 10 InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 spares kit Note that t...

Page 13: ...the GCS to immediately shut them off in an emergency Never leave the GCS outside of arm s reach while the motors are running Although the aircraft can maintain position and altitude autonomously the operator should never leave the GCS unattended except to service an unrelated emergency and should resume operation of the GCS immediately thereafter The aircraft is capable of high speed travel and co...

Page 14: ...attery to short circuit If the battery life of the aircraft runs out during flight the aircraft will descend rapidly without input from the operator If a serious crash occurs inspect the Li Po battery from the aircraft on a non flammable surface Look for swelling of the battery or significant damage to the wiring insulation If either of these conditions is present the battery must be disposed of p...

Page 15: ...tor commands a change with the GCS D The operator can toggle the current camera feed that is sent down and displayed on the tablet 3 1 1 Aircraft The InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 aircraft is a quadrotor configuration vertical takeoff and landing VTOL small unmanned aerial system sUAS designed for single user operations The aircraft consists of two major assemblies a plastic and carbon fiber frame and a...

Page 16: ...o the viewing device The GCS D is weather resistant and connects through Series 80 Mighty Mouse Connectors and cables Additional power can be provided by a 10 Ah Li Po battery soldier s conformal wearable battery CWB not included See Figure 13 for a labeled picture of the major GCS components More details on the control interface are provided in Section 3 1 3 GCS D Control Interface pg 17 and more...

Page 17: ...ivision of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 17 3 1 3 GCS D Interface The GCS D interface can be broken into three main groups joysticks QTY 2 wheel QTY 1 and buttons QTY 10 Each of these interfaces Figures 14 15 is described below Figure 15 GCS D button wheel and joystick configuration top view ...

Page 18: ...ables and disables Navigation Control mode CAMERA button toggles the current video feed that is displayed on the GCS MOTOR button turns the aircrafts motors on and off HOME button enables Home mode UTILITY 1 button tilts the gimbaled camera upward UTILITY 2 button tilts the gimbaled camera downward UTILITY 3 button controls payload functions UTILITY 4 button controls payload functions POWER button...

Page 19: ...GCS in a visual format This information is displayed in several graphics each of which is shown in the following example image Figure 16 In this section the function of each graphic is explained in detail Figure 16 Ground control system on screen display with graphics 3 1 5 1 Range Bearing The Range Bearing graphic Figure 17 is in the upper left of the display screen It displays the distance from ...

Page 20: ...starting from the outer circle indicates the bearing of the aircraft relative to the operator If the aircraft is facing away from the operator i e if it were to be moved forward the range would increase this line will form a continuation of the other line If the aircraft is pointed back towards the operator this line will fold back in on the other line Note Should the operator move with the GCS wh...

Page 21: ... to recover the aircraft 3 1 5 3 Zulu Time Figure 20 Battery Life graphic The Zulu Time graphic Figure 21 displays the current Coordinated Universal Time UTC date and military time in the format day of month hours minutes month letter abbreviation last 2 digits of year Figure 21 Zulu Time graphic This information is supplied by GPS satellites and so may not display if the GCS GPS has no satellites...

Page 22: ...ar over the mode in the respective mode s box Figure 23 Flight Modes graphic 3 1 5 6 GPS Coordinates The GPS Coordinates graphic Figure 24 displays the aircraft s current location if the aircraft has a GPS fix If the aircraft has yet to acquire a GPS fix dashes will display instead of coordinates However once a fix is acquired the graphic will continue to show the last valid GPS coordinates receiv...

Page 23: ...de the gray box the aircraft s current altitude above ground level AGL measured in feet from the launch point not from the ground If the aircraft is in ALT mode and is 3 or more feet from the operator requested altitude the requested altitude will also display If the requested altitude is greater than the aircraft s actual altitude the requested altitude will display above the gray box If the requ...

Page 24: ...hat they mean and how to address them is provided in Section 4 Warnings and Emergency Procedures pg 41 3 1 5 10 Directives Figure 27 Warning graphic example Directives appear in white text in the center of the screen at the start of flight operations and walk the operator through the typical procedure used to begin a flight They are not binding and will disappear after the motors are engaged for 1...

Page 25: ...e adversely affected by harsher conditions The flight time remaining graphic on the GCS Figure 20 p 22 will adapt and give a relatively accurate reading but it should be monitored frequently to ensure sufficient time is allotted to land the aircraft safely 3 2 1 2 Condition 2 Obstructions The aircraft depends on GPS satellites to hold its position in NAV mode The GPS fix time and fix quality are a...

Page 26: ...es particularly operation in or around ground vehicles or boats are taught during operator training 3 2 2 System Inspection Both the aircraft and the GCS GCS D and tablet should be inspected for damage before operating the system Ensure that each battery connector is not bent Inspect theaircraft in general and specifically look for damaged loose or misaligned propellers loose motors and cracked mo...

Page 27: ...ircraft right antenna positioning 3 2 5 Video Output The GCS D outputs H264 video through a USB cable on the bottom of the unit The video contains graphics data for display on an Android device with the InstantEye app ATAK or Automated Pilot Advisory System APAS 3 2 6 Power On Pairing Connect the viewing device and the GCS D with the provided cables see Figure 13 p 16 The USB host adapter MUST be ...

Page 28: ... battery Figure 32 right The GCS D battery indicator shows Good when the battery is sufficiently charged for a normal flight If it reads Low or Change swap the battery for a fully charged unit 3 3 Initialization After pairing with the GCS D the aircraft begins an initialization process to confirm the onboard sensors are functioning properly During this time the tablet displays Initializing The spe...

Page 29: ...aft can be held aloft or placed on the ground as long as the propellers are clear of obstructions and there are no metallic objects in close proximity to the aircraft which could cause a magnetic compass error Once ALT and NAV modes are enabled and the altitude is set clearof obstructions launch the aircraft by pressing the MOTOR button The motors will momentarily spool up slowly at first to balan...

Page 30: ...ould use EXTREME CAUTION WHEN THE FLIGHT TIME REMAINING GRAPHIC INDICATES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES OF BATTERY LIFE REMAINING When the indicated time is less than 2 minutes maneuvering capabilities bank climb drive of the InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 are diminished The user must incorporate this into flight planning To maintain stability the system will limit the rate at which the user can maneuver home and ...

Page 31: ...n estimated GPS location on the ground When the gimbaled camera is in a near horizontal position no camera aim point is shown and the location is of the aircraft is shown as indicated by A C in place of the camera aimpoint in the GPS bar 3 5 5 Modes The aircraft enters and exits modes as a result of both GCS inputs and internal logic 3 5 5 1 Navigation NAV mode activates the translational position...

Page 32: ...rtical position controller are activated allowing the aircraft to climb to a safe altitude and return to the home location If the aircraft regains the C2 link in the process of returning home the operator will once again have full control In indoor mode lost communication mode commands the aircraft to enter Landing mode If C2 is regained during the aircraft s return to HOME the operator can wiggle...

Page 33: ...cing away from the operator the aircraft will move in the same direction as the joysticks are manipulated to minimize confusion 3 7 Post Flight Once the aircraft has landed and the propellers have come to a complete stop power down the aircraft and then power down the GCS D After each flight inspect the system for any damage particularly if there was a rough landing or if any strange behavior was ...

Page 34: ... VIEWER Button View Current Live Video SET RTB Button Set the Return to Base Location GCS D SNAPS Button View GCS D Snapshots from GCS D GCS D VIDEO Button View Saved Video from GCS D CREATE MISSION Button Create Waypoint Mission TABLET SNAPS VIDEO Button View Snapshots Video Downloaded to Tablet Figure 34 InstantEye main application screen with RTB waypoint mission and snap video viewing options ...

Page 35: ...ft home position becomes the aircraft launch position If the operator would like the aircraft to return to an alternate home location a new Return to Base RTB locationcan be manually entered prior to launching the aircraft RTB location entry is done by pressing the SET RTB button at the bottom of the main application screen Figure 36 through Figure 38 Programming an alternate RTB point will allow ...

Page 36: ...s a division of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 36 Figure 36 Left SET RTB button in InstantEye application Right waypoint entry Figure 37 Left waypoint entry Right waypoint saving Figure 38 Left upload RTB point to the aircraft Right example of an invalid waypoint which must be reentered ...

Page 37: ...d executed prior to launch motor start A preplanned waypoint mission of up to 15 waypoints can be entered in the InstantEye application Waypoints can be entered in MGRS 10 digit grid format or in latitude longitude format Each waypoint mission can be named and saved for future recall and execution To start the creation of a waypoint mission press the CREATE MISSION button at the bottom of the main...

Page 38: ...om of the screen press the 3 DOT button which calls up the mission status indicators Then press the SINGLE DOTbutton in the upper left corner of Figure 43 to pull up the list of available missions saved If there is a connection between the aircraft GCS D and the tablet and the aircraft has a good GPS fix a mission can be highlighted and uploaded to the aircraft using the UPLOAD TO AIRCRAFT button ...

Page 39: ...OT button to expand the mission status bar then hit the SINGLE DOT button shown by right arrow to bring up the saved mission screen Right highlight the desired mission to be uploaded to the aircraft and hit the UPLOAD TO AIRCRAFT button Figure 44 Left example of an upload failure due to an invalid waypoint or the aircraft not meeting the upload requirements Right example of a successful upload to ...

Page 40: ...cal Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 40 Figure 45 Left mission uploaded and aircraft ready for launch Right aircraft launched hovering and ready for mission execution by hitting the PLAY button Figure 46 Mission executing can be paused at any point with movement of joysticks or a push of the PAUSE button on the tablet ...

Page 41: ...ages and their recommended response Warning Message Description and Recommended Response Warning Storage is full Use InstantEye app to delete previously recorded videos Warning Possible button error try releasing Release button or ensure no buttons are engaged Warning Aircraft overheating Land immediately do not launch Can cause loss of altitude control exit ALT mode if needed Warning Home mode en...

Page 42: ...Warning Weak C2 link is displayed then the C2 link has been lost as well refer to Section 4 3 Weak C2 Link pg 42 Response Action Increase the altitude of the aircraft and after reaching a safe height move it closer to the GCS If the aircraft is not in GCS line of sight the operator must regain LOS if possible Ensure the GCS D video receiver antenna is pointed in the direction of the aircraft If th...

Page 43: ...e safe to re enter NAV mode Note that in the absence of a GPS fix Lost Communications mode is disabled 4 5 Compass Heading Error Indicator Warning Compass heading error is displayed Position hold in NAV mode may become erratic the aircraft may move in successively larger circles Response Action If the problem persists and the aircraft seems to circle or otherwise move erratically disable NAV mode ...

Page 44: ... immediately upon recovery 4 8 GCS D is Powered Off While Aircraft is in Flight Indicator The GCS D power is turned off either due to the POWER button being pressed removal of the battery or low battery voltage Response Action If the GCS D shut down due to low battery voltage replace the dead battery with a charged one Put the GCS D in rescue mode by pressing and holding the UTILITY 2 and HOME but...

Page 45: ...f the aircraft GCS and accessories when stowing them is critical to ensure maximum survivability of the components Never stand or sit on the loaded InstantEye system transit case The following figures show the proper configuration of stowed components The bottom layer of the case Figure 47 includes one aircraft all battery charging components spare propellers and up to six batteries When packing t...

Page 46: ... or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 46 Figure 48 Proper orientation of stowed components middle and top layer The soft case Figure 49 includes one aircraft tablet GCS D and up to six batteries When packing the aircraft check that all of the propellers are aligned to avoid the walls of the case Figure 49 Proper orientation of stowed components in the soft case ...

Page 47: ...ulty turning the motor or if it makes a clicking sound the motor is dysfunctional and should be replaced It is much less likely for a motor to break than for a propeller to chip Periodically check to make sure that all motor and propeller screws are in place and secure Check for cracks in the aircraft frame that could reduce the aircraft s structural integrity Conduct a periodic check for motor pe...

Page 48: ...the frame to which the motor is installed Figure 51 Installing a motor in the incorrect position will result in uncontrollable flight behavior of the vehicle Figure 51 Motor replacement Secure the motor with the four supplied Phillips head screws making sure that the motor sits flat against the frame Figure 52 Figure 52 Motor screws To replace the propeller on the motor first remove the propeller ...

Page 49: ...return for repair 6 3 Battery and Battery Charger Maintenance Lithium polymer Li Po batteries are high capacity high performance power sources and are sensitive to misuse Before charging a battery do a visual check to verify it is in good condition Only charge the 1 3 Ah Li Po GCS D batteries and the 5 7 Ah Li Po aircraft batteries included with the InstantEye Mk 3 GEN4 D1 system using the supplie...

Page 50: ...nect the charger to a power source via the AC DC module and allow the LEDs on the charge module to cycle before connecting the battery balancing cable and battery adapter cable to the battery Figure 55 Note the black and red power cable must be connected to the battery first and then the white balancing cable Failure to do so can permanently damage the charger The charger will indicate that it is ...

Page 51: ...lights to cycle before charging the next battery Summary of what each LED on the battery charger indicates in the order of the LEDs on the charger RED outside Battery error RED inside No battery RED both Charger error GREEN Battery charged YELLOW Minimum charge YELLOW Charging BLUE Charger ready A battery pack at a temperature of less than 15 F 9 C can show noticeably poorer performance until it w...

Page 52: ...Battery Balancing Cable Battery Charge Adapter Battery Charging Cradle with Battery Battery Charging Cradle without Battery Figure 54 The InstantEye Mk 3 battery charger set up for the GCS D battery Figure 55 Battery charger set up with GEN4 aircraft battery and GEN4 aircraft battery adapter wire Black and Red 2 conductor and the balancing adapter Black receiver with white plugs for battery balanc...

Page 53: ...3 GEN4 D1 system is charged through the Glenair USB cable using a simple USB power supplyand the supplied USB to Mighty Mouse cable Plug the charging cable into the USB power supply and then disconnect the GCS D USB cable and connect the charging cable as shown in Figure 56 Leave plugged in until tablet indicates a full charge 8 Inch Ruggedized Tablet USB Power Supply Tablet Charging Cable USB Hos...

Page 54: ...N4 D1 aircraft nose 7 1 Tactical Standoff Payload ISR Variant The Tactical Standoff Payload Figure 61 left is a plug and play gimbaled EO IR payload that provides high zoom electro optic and long wave infrared thermal imaging capability with variable pitch control and stability Figure 61 Tactical Standoff Payload left integrated into an InstantEye Mk 2 GEN4 aircraft right The Tactical Standoff Pay...

Page 55: ...dard flight operations Upon powering the system the user will notice a small rectangular box on the left hand side of the screen indicating the aircraft has recognized a Tactical Standoff Payload camera is stabilized and will attempt to hold point angle The two cameras on the payload EO and IR are added to the set of cameras selectable by toggling the CAMERA button on the GCS Depending on the angl...

Page 56: ...ssing UTILITY2 tilts the payload down eventually moving it to a downward view The Utility buttons must be pressed and released holding them down does not move the payload While flying the payload attempts to maintain the angle of the payload cameras relative to ground Pressing UTILITY2 past the fully downward position of the camera will disable the tilt of the payload causing it to remain fixed in...

Page 57: ...ds the calibration is complete and the thermal camera image should improve The operator will know the calibration is complete when the writing on the screen stating To NUC cover lens with hand disappears When in flight the label on Button 1 changes to GAIN which allows the user to cycle through a number of presets for thermal camera settings Settings such as AGC midpoint and plateau level are chan...

Page 58: ...ayload graphic when controlling tilt pitch left and payload graphic when controlling thermal camera zoom color palette right Care should be taken during aircraft recovery when the Tactical Standoff Payload is installed as the force of landing may cause the payload to detach from the payload mount If this occurs simply re insert the payload strap dovetail into the mating slot on the payload ...

Page 59: ...than 20 or 30 minutes check that the propellers are not chipped or cracked and replace the battery with a fully charged one Inspect the used battery for damage These are the most likely reasons for uncommonly low endurance If propellers are damaged refer to Section 6 1 Aircraft Maintenance pg 47 for instructions on replacing them Remember that aggressive maneuvering especially rapid ascents will d...

Page 60: ...on when it is paired The GCS will have a green LED visible when powered on Check that the C2 antenna black stick on the top of the GCS D is screwed on tight If the tablet displays Ready to pair with aircraft then it is attempting to pair with an aircraft but is not receiving a response It is possible that the radio channel on which the aircraft and GCS D attempt to pair has an unusually large amou...

Page 61: ...T 2018 InstantEye Robotics a division of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 61 GCS D 8 9 Aircraft Pulls to One Direction Consistently If the aircraft pulls to one direction consistently check the joysticks for damage as described in Section 6 2 GCS Maintenance pg 49 ...

Page 62: ...e GCS D 4 Connect the tablet to the GCS D via the Mighty Mouse Series 80 mm cable connectors ensuring the host adapter is inline in the connection 9 2 Wait for System to Pair 1 After approximately twenty seconds the GCS D will connect and communicate with the tablet This is indicated by the connection symbol between the controller icon and video screen icon changing from a red cross to green arrow...

Page 63: ...GEN4 D1 aircraft GCS D and tablet the video feed can be viewed by pressing the VIEWER button at the bottom right of the main application screen 9 4 Fly the System 1 Once the video feed is streaming follow the on screen instructions to fly the InstantEye system 2 Enable ALT mode with the ALT button on the GCS D 3 Set altitude above obstructions with the yaw altitude joystick on the GCS D 4 Enable N...

Page 64: ... of the rechargeable battery over time which does not constitute a defect in material or workmanship Defects due to damage caused by an accidental collision or fall Defects due to system operations outside of flight envelope detailed in operations manual and program of instruction POI Defects due to abnormal use of the product or if spare parts have been installed without following the recommendat...

Page 65: ...al Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 65 11 REVISION LOG Provided below is a summary of the revisions made to this document Revision Revision Date Description of Revisions Made M0 5 October 16 2018 Draft version of Mk 3 GEN4 product M1 0 February 14 2019 M1 1 July 31 2019 FY 20 update M1 2 August 14 2019 Formatting update ...

Page 66: ...evision M1 2 August 14 2019 COPYRIGHT 2018 InstantEye Robotics a division of Physical Sciences Inc ITAR or EXPORT CONTROLLED Page 66 12 REFERENCE MATERIAL Provided on the following pages are materials for quick and easy reference including RMA form ...

Page 67: ......

Page 68: ...InstantEye Robotics A Division of Physical Sciences Inc 6 Riverside Drive Andover MA 01810 1121 1 978 918 7400 www instanteyerobotics com ...

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