Nimbus UAV-Docking Station
Nimbus’ Industrial UAV (courtesy of Nimbus S.R.L.)
Implementing Fast & Automatic Charging for the Nimbus UAV-Docking Station Drone
Nimbus SRL specializes in crafting fully customized unmanned aerial systems for professional applications in critical industries and services. Among their offerings is the Nimbus UAV-Docking Station, a sophisticated drone solution equipped with a range of features designed to optimize and streamline operations in various scenarios. This technology encompasses automated storage, charging, launch, and landing capabilities, ensuring resilience in challenging environmental conditions.
The Nimbus’ proprietary UAV-Docking Station (courtesy of Nimbus S.R.L.)
The challenge
Drone inspections and surveillance necessitate both on-demand and scheduled missions. The Nimbus UAV-Docking Station drone is tasked with initiating missions from the hangar, collecting data, and returning to base upon completion. Remote installation in the field, without direct human presence, is essential for seamless deployments. This requirement mandates cloud-based control and continuous charging of the drone's large 10,000mAh battery, requiring a high amperage of 30A for effective charging. Additionally, the docking system must accommodate varying landing orientations.
The solution
To ensure safe, fast and automatic contact charging, Nimbus opted to integrate the Skycharge Source 1500W system. The system's 30A charging capability establishes a reliable electrical contact in a first phase and initiates charging in a second phase eliminating risks of sparks, platform damage, heat, and ensuring certification compliance. Leveraging their control over the drone's design, Nimbus implemented a simplified version of the BOLOGNINI S1 charging platform, reducing the tile count from 36 to 4. The charging system is managed via on-prem SDK ensuring control of the charging process, landing confirmation, and -when needed- the ability to dynamically reprogram the charging parameters based on the application requirements.
The results
The incorporation of the Skycharge source and docking system empowered Nimbus to establish cutting-edge auto-charging and docking functionalities, setting industry safety standards. This advancement facilitated remote installations of the UAV-Docking Station in field environments, operated seamlessly through cloud integration.
“We consider the Skycharge system time-effective and eligible to be implemented on industrial products. The system gave robust results after the implementation within the Nimbus UAV-Docking Station that will soon be on duty into various Italian airports.” - Roberto Trapananti, Project Manager of Nimbus srl
