OVERVIEW
Ainstein’s US-D1 radar altimeter is ideal for providing high-precision, real-time altitude readouts to industrial and tactical UAVs. Because of its unmatched effectiveness in enabling efficient, reliable, and safe Vertical Take-Off & Landing (VTOL) transitions, it has become the gold standard for drones performing VTOL.
Key Benefits of US-D1 for VTOL Drones:
- Rapid, real-time data (100 Hz Refresh Rate)
- Small size (108 x 79 x 20mm)
- Lightweight (110g)
- Simple and easy setup (Ardupilot and PX4 ready)
- Ideal for autonomous takeoff and landing (0.3m – 50m operating range)
Who the US-D1 is ideal for:
- Surveillance & Intelligence Drone Manufacturers
- Lightweight, Fixed-Wing Tactical UAS
- Other VTOL Drone Applications
Why Use a Radar Altimeter?
- To perform high-fidelity UAV terrain-following
- Laser altimeters are less effective over water
- GPS can’t account for varied terrain
How the US-D1 Works on Your UAV:
- The US-D1 is packaged with either a Molex 4POS 2.54MM or JST_GHR-04V-S connector when purchased, which helps for seamless connection into the serial port of a UAV’s flight controller.
- Once connected, the US-D1 can be mounted anywhere on the underside of the UAV frame where it has a clear field of view. Because of it’s small size, this can even be done by placing the US-D1 in the foot/landing gear of the UAV. The US-D1 STP file can be found on the US-D1 page for integration help.
- If the UAV is using Ardupilot or PX4 software, set the necessary parameters for using the US-D1 and reboot the flight controller. The sensor will then be ready for operation on the drone.
- Perform manual VTOL maneuvers and validate that the US-D1 data is correct.
- After validation, begin test flights with autonomous VTOL enabled using the input of the US-D1 to ensure precision takeoff and landing.
