| There are many technologies being used today such | | | | devices, which if ultrasound is used are really |
| as ultrasonic sensors, which provide non-contact for | | | | inexpensive in the car wash industry will cause a |
| solution levels in liquid storage tanks. Using this | | | | somewhat vertically unpredictable flight pattern of |
| technology the tanks can use non-corrosive methods | | | | that of a bird, which moves with the currents and |
| to prevent failure of parts. For instance in a fuel tank | | | | updrafts crossing roads or downdrafts crossing |
| the bacteria can eat through a 505 (2-inch) think | | | | creeks and cooler air. |
| piece of stainless steel in about a week or so. Even | | | | You see the simple instability of the relative wind |
| plastic, which is made from petroleum products | | | | along with the terrain ultrasonic control system pulling |
| becomes brittle in such environments. So the solution | | | | up when it gets close to the ground will look like the |
| in the various industries is to use sound waves to | | | | flight of a bird, one which you cannot see and you |
| control switches and float leveling systems. One | | | | cannot hear if it is electric. For all practical purposes a |
| company in our industry is Compac Engineering which | | | | small delivery system similar to the birds in Harry |
| makes all types of "Eracta Switches" like an erector | | | | Potters Book five. The speed of sound is a factor of |
| set you build the desired structure or device out of | | | | air temperature and of course air pressure and |
| plastic, insert their sensors, plug it in and you are | | | | density but at slower speeds of a UAV is less of a |
| completed. You can know soap levels, waster water | | | | consideration. A tree in the way would be a different |
| levels, freshwater levels using devices, which do not | | | | signal bounce for sound than the ground, sensors can |
| corrode, rust or deteriorate quickly. | | | | easily see the difference. |
| These same systems and other systems are used in | | | | Right now much work is being done on pedestrian |
| car washes to guide the car and systems close | | | | radars using sound, which are now available in Europe |
| without touching the car. In the previous decade | | | | on cars and soon in US. Most major auto |
| electronic eyes were used, costly and often failed | | | | manufacturers have this and if you remember the |
| and each morning a ghost wash was needed to test | | | | last Terminator Movie out now the robots, which |
| the system and if the control mechanism failed the | | | | shoot rotating machine guns use sound to identify |
| unit would touch the practice car and scratch it, | | | | targets, the disruption of the returning of the sound |
| ruining the paint. This newer technology is best suited | | | | waves is recognized by shape and therefore the |
| in that it has less moving parts and works very easily | | | | object is identified. They call this technique windowing. |
| with less mechanism for Murphyism and less weight | | | | The proximity sensors for car washes use a complex |
| of components a critical issue in UAV operations since | | | | series of ultrasonic sound pulses using emitters and |
| payloads are critical. | | | | receivers. But the systems can be easily made very |
| The best little tiny UAVs which go by another term | | | | simply and relatively weightless. Many animals in |
| MAV- Micro Air Vehicles can only carry 9-11 lbs. not | | | | nature use such signals to hunt; Bats for instance and |
| much really, but enough to get the job done. Every | | | | Dolphins sonar. You see not too difficult to see why. |
| pound you save adds to the range of the craft for | | | | Easy to use and light-weight. In cold conditions the |
| fuel or battery power in the case of many of the | | | | units, which gather ice could have a bit of a problem |
| UAVs around. Electric MAVs and/or Small UAVs for | | | | however most of the enemies of the US are near |
| military purposes are desired since they do not need | | | | the equator, where it is warmer. This system works |
| fuel only setting a switch allowing the chemicals to | | | | day or night and in stormy weather when proper |
| mix and cause a reation and start the process of | | | | filters are used. Another even cooler new technology |
| making electricity. GPS guided units by satellites are | | | | which has been recently adopted in the car wash |
| often best for UAV control in that the operator | | | | industry is "passive ferrous object detection" this |
| releases or hand launches the unit and lets it go and | | | | technology uses a very simplistic approach which |
| the satellite guides it by electronic pulses or pinging | | | | identifies natural local magnetic disturbances in the |
| from satellite within way-points without any rhythm | | | | Earth's natural magnetic field; another easy system, |
| and therefore electronic pulses are not able to be | | | | which can guide a UAV. |
| blocked as signals. Without blocking an entire band of | | | | Ultrasonic sensors can be solid state or newer chip |
| frequencies and that takes lots of power and | | | | technology to work. UAVs, which can fly under |
| directional awareness of UAV which if autonomous is | | | | radars and line of sight around and through trees, like |
| nearly impossible to find or see and you cannot know | | | | birds and insects are the future of UAV technology. |
| where it is since it's signature is less than the smallest | | | | It's a bird, It's a plane, no its a UAV. Holly pilot-less |
| bird. | | | | RC modeling Batman. |
| Also electric is nice if the using terrain following | | | | |