Tag: Alexey Dobrovolskiy

Bathymetric surveys with a UAV and an echo sounder successfully conducted in Israel
Business World, News

Bathymetric surveys with a UAV and an echo sounder successfully conducted in Israel

May 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Alexey Dobrovolskiy, #CEO of ERELIS, #CTO of SPH Engineering, #Roman Kirsanov

Riga, Latvia – Israeli drone service provider ERELIS recently conducted a number of pilot projects using a drone equipped with a single-beam echo sounder in the Mediterranean and Dead Seas. The data was validated by authorized local surveyors and reports from previous surveys of the same areas by “Michmoret Campus – Faculty of Marine Sciences”. The “reference” bathymetric data was collected using a manned boat and multi-beam and single-beam echo sounders and demonstrated a good match between the results of new drone-based and traditional methods.

The bathymetric system consisted of a standard commercial DJI drone (UgCS SkyHub onboard computer and terrain following system with radar altimeter) and Echologger ECT400 single-beam echo sounder provided by SPH Engineering, Latvia. For data processing, the Eye4Software Hydromagic software package was employed.

Bathymetric surveys with a UAV and an echo sounder successfully conducted in Israel

“I was surprised by the maneuverability of the system and how easy it is to conduct bathymetric surveys using a UAV equipped with an echo sounder. Some of our survey areas were 400-500m away from take-off/landing positions and that means that the term “remote sensing” comes to the world of hydrography and becomes available to any drone service companies,” Roman Kirsanov, CEO of ERELIS, comments.

“Good to see that applicability of our system with a single-beam echo sounder is validated in conditions outside of its initial focus on small-scale surveys of inland water bodies, first of all when possibility to do surveys without actual physical access to the area under investigation, as well as situations where it is not reasonable to employ traditional methods. Furthermore, thanks to our partner, we can now also recommend our system for small-scale surveys in coastal areas and virtually in any liquids – density of water in the Dead Sea is 1.24kg/L,” Alexey Dobrovolskiy, CTO of SPH Engineering, adds.

SPH Engineering announced the launch of a UAV drone, integrated with an echo sounder, as a new product for bathymetric surveys of inland and coastal waters in May 2020. This data collection method has been used in a number of countries, including Denmark and the UAE. The method has proven to be both time and cost efficient and suitable for mapping, measuring and inspections, as well as environmental monitoring. This bathymetry solution is also synchronized with Hydromagic Survey software package.

Test range for UAV-based geophysical sensors launched in Latvia
Business World, News

Test range for UAV-based geophysical sensors launched in Latvia

Apr 30, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Alexey Dobrovolskiy, #CTO at SPH Engineering

Riga, Latvia – SPH Engineering announces the official launch of its in-house drone flight area, enriched with a unique 450×70 meter range for various types of geophysical sensor testing with UAVs. The purpose-built testing ground features multiple targets of different materials and sizes buried in a variety of soil types.

SPH Engineering’s test range is designed for manufacturers, surveying and scientific teams for equipment testing and various experiments. The four distinct seasons in Latvia provide the opportunity to test the technologies in a wide range of conditions: dry soil in summer, wet to extremely muddy in spring/autumn, and frozen in winter.

Dozens of real-life application scenarios for geological sensors were taken into account to design the testing area. There are 23 permanently installed targets (pipes, barrels, etc.) buried in natural soil (layers from sand to clay) to inspect. The coordinates of the targets are known with cm-level precision to ensure the highest possible accuracy when interpretating data acquired by the geophysical sensors. Also, the diagonal orientation of pipes makes it possible to test the target’s responses at different depths and distances from the sensors.

“We integrated the first sensor with a drone back in 2017. It was a GPR. The solution has been widely used, mainly for industrial and archeological surveys, as well as for fresh water bathymetry. The decision to create an innovative test range was in response to the unexpected increase in requests for various UAV integrations from potential customers and sensor producers during the pandemic in 2020. Within a year, we successfully integrated two magnetometers, an echo sounder, a new methane detector and a metal detector with a drone,” Alexey Dobrovolskiy, CTO at SPH Engineering, explains.

Earlier this year, SPH Engineering renamed UgCS Industrial Solutions as UgCS Integrated Systems. The new name more accurately reflects the company’s specially developed “sensor+drone” portfolio.

First-ever remote drone delivery completed in Latvia
Business World

First-ever remote drone delivery completed in Latvia

Jan 14, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Alexey Dobrovolskiy, #CTO of SPH Engineering, #IngmārsPūķis, #Jānis Grants, #the President of the Executive Board of DPD Latvija, #the Vice President of LMT

In December of 2020, Latvia welcomed its first-ever gift delivery completed by a drone. A parcel consisting of tablets was “shipped” with joint efforts of Latvian Mobile Telephone (LMT), SPH Engineering, and DPD Latvija. The drone’s Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight was conducted entirely on the mobile network, and the flying drone used a remote ID device prototype made by LMT, as well as UgCS drone mission and route planning software by SPH Engineering.

LMT’s remote ID device prototype is a drone-mounted device that enhances the drone with remote flight capabilities. The device’s SIM card provides two functionalities – remote identification and location tracking of the UAV according to the GPS signal. Combined, they offer additional security and transparency, making BVLOS flights possible.

The combination of the LMT remote ID device with the UgCS route planning makes remote drone flight possible. Because the drone and flight path data is available to everyone involved, it paves the way for the implementation of remote UAV flights into airspace, without compromising security.  The drone pilot in a command center, flight security observers, and anyone else who holds the need to observe or coordinate flights BVLOS have access to the necessary data via a prototyped site, available on computers or smart devices.

IngmārsPūķis, the Vice President of LMT, comments: “Using a UAV to deliver parcels is a great example of how technologies serve people. In cooperation with international partners, LMT is actively working towards promoting safer drone flights BVLOS on mobile networks.”

The fast-paced global digital transformation marks a need for new products and services, enabling a full-fledged use of drone technology and mobile networks. The majority of UAV commercial flights in the future could be conducted BVLOS. For now, such drone flights aren’t prevalent due to the legal regulations that only allow drone flights within direct visual sight because of safety concerns. However, in research and testing cases, permission for a drone flight BVLOS can be granted.

Moreover, mobile network connectivity improves such flights’ safety as the network accessibility in the air often exceeds the one on the ground due to the lack of obstructions. During 94% of the conducted drone delivery flights, the average network strength was -87.6dBm, which is a very good indicator by the cellular network provider standards.

“Drone delivery is turning into a new applicable global trend. Within the last few months, we have observed how delivery and mobile market players, both global and local, are joining efforts to introduce delivery solutions with UAVs. We are proud to contribute to the LMT and DPD initiative with UgCS technology and support drone deliveries across Latvia,” Alexey Dobrovolskiy, CTO of SPH Engineering.

The drones’ delivery flight took gifts to the residents in various social care centers in Latvia. The seniors received tablets from LMT packed with useful apps to allow the elderly to communicate with their relatives, follow the news, and learn new skills online.

Jānis Grants, the President of the Executive Board of DPD Latvija, also emphasizes the importance of adjusting to technological progress. He notes that DPD has always been eager to follow the latest tech tendencies and explore more sustainable delivery solutions. Next to electric vehicles already in use, delivering packages with drones is another sustainable solution, also speeding up the delivery time.

Access the video of the first-ever gift delivery in Latvia completed by a UAV here.