Topcon Releases Two New UAS for Aerial Mapping, Touts RTK Solution

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Topcon Positioning Group recently announced two new UAS for mapping, the Sirius Pro and Sirius Basic. The press release states that “both systems are designed to produce the most accurate solutions for the automated mapping of a wide range of sites – regardless of terrain – including construction sites, mines and quarries, and for use in land surveying, power line and pipeline inspection as well as precision agriculture field mapping.”

According to a report made by the Spar Point Group, both Sirius UAS solutions include a fixed-wing UAV that can be launched by hand. The systems also incorporates autopilot-assisted manual control, safety features for use in emergencies, and automatic flight planning with MAVinci software, courtesy of MAVinci Gmbh, a UAS development company that Topcon entered into an agreement with last October.

Unmanned systems conference 2014 – Israel

The focus of Topcon’s marketing campaign, however, is the RTK solution that they are calling “unique to the UAS marketplace.” The release continues: “Instead of using traditional ground control points, Topcon combines RTK (Real Time Kinematic) GNSS solutions with precision timing technology to provide more accurate mapping results when compared to other products.”

As compared to smaller UASs like the Sensefly, the main benefit of the Topcon Sirius UASs seem to be their size: They are slightly larger and a bit heavier, making them ideal for use in situations with higher winds since they can maintain a more stable flight.

But the Sirius UASs are still small, and so the payloads they carry are restricted. That is, they will not carry a LiDAR system, but will support a professional camera rig.