Currawong sells motor controllers, servos and small engines for unmanned aerial vehicles to customers located all over the world. Currawong has recently expanded its electronics production facility to meet the growing demand for its products. The facility includes a solder printer, pick and place machines, a reflow oven, automatic optical inspection and various soldering stations. Currawong is seeking an Electronics Technician to assist with increasing the production output.
High quality and reliability are keystones of the business. The successful candidate will need to have a strong commitment to making precision products.
Please note, only hard-copy applications sent via the post will be considered.
Key Responsibilities:
the electronics assembly of Currawong products
operation of electronics assembly equipment
manufacture of wiring harnesses
testing and commissioning of electronic products
documenting assembly processes, testing and commissioning procedures
record and update relevant information in Currawong’s information and inventory systems
ordering electronics components
other tasks as needed
Qualifications/Skills:
A relevant diploma or IPC training would be an advantage
Experience in PCBA, electronics assembly, inspection, testing and repair would be an advantage
Soldering and desoldering experience would be an advantage
Ability to read and understand schematics and diagrams
Computer skills – able to use Word and Excel
Demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve Currawong’s high-quality standards
Willingness to learn and accept constructive feedback
Enthusiastic team player who is flexible and adaptable
Can work independently and shows initiative
Excellent communication skills
Follows safe work procedures
Please note, Currawong will provide training to the successful candidate, as needed.
Other requirements:
A current Tasmanian driving licence is required.
Baseline security screening may be required (via the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency).
Benefits:
Currawong has 20 employees and it aims to provide a challenging, rewarding and flexible work environment. The standard workday is 7.6 hours in length (38 hours per week). Currawong has a flex time system whereby any extra hours worked in a week can be accrued and taken off at a later date. It provides tea, espresso coffee, milo and regular staff morning teas.
More information:
For more information about Currawong Engineering, please see the website www.currawong.aero
To apply, please post a hard copy of your application to:
Jason Suter
General Manager
Currawong Engineering Pty Ltd
54 Patriarch Drive Huntingfield TAS 7055
Please include:
A cover letter including:
to what degree do you meet the Qualifications/Skills dot points?
why you would specifically like to work at Currawong Engineering.
Resume
Currawong requests that hard copy applications be received by Monday 27th March 2023 (although the earlier the better). We look forward to hearing from you.
The 41 Series air cooled two-stroke engines utilise advanced closed-loop control, optimising performance for extreme environmental conditions.
Based on the world-renowned 4103 engine – which has flown more than 20,000 missions in theatre across the globe – the new 41 Series has been updated with the latest in engine technology providing a top shelf propulsion system that meets the demanding requirements of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market.
This engine series features automatic altitude and temperature compensation allowing reliable start and operation in a wide operating range.
2-Stroke
Air Cooled
Exceptional reliability
Latest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology
Maximum performance in extreme conditions
TECHNICAL DATA
TYPE:
Two cylinder two stroke (opposed)
DISPLACEMENT:
100 cm3 (6.3 cu in)
STROKE:
34 mm (1.34 in)
BORE:
44mm (1.73 in)
MAX. PERFORMANCE:
6 kW (8.1 HP) at 6700 rpm According to DIN 70020
CONTROL:
Disc valve
MIXTURE FORMATION:
Fuel injecton
IGNITION SYSTEM:
CDI controlled by the ECU
COOLING:
Air cooled
WEIGHT:
3400g (7.5 lb) with exhaust sytem, sensors and wirring harness 600g (1.33 lb) Subcomponents (ECU, ignition system, fuel supply,..)
LENGTH:
259 mm (10.20 in)
WIDTH:
286 mm (11.25 in)
HEIGHT:
308 mm (12.12 in)
RUNNING DIRECTION:
Clockwise, view to output shaft
SPEED RANGE:
1800-6500 rpm
FUEL MIXTURE :
Mixture 1:80 2-stroke-oil API TC or BLUEMAX MOGAS o. AVGAS fuel min. 95 octane (RON)
Drone mapping software is notoriously expensive. While most of these mapping engines offer free trials, along with lesser expensive options, there is no free drone mapping software other than Web ODM (also known as ODM).
Web ODM is an open-source drone mapping software designed for all purposes. WebODM was first designed in 2016 and has been upgraded regularly.
Since WebODM is open source, anyone with a background in software design is able to manipulate the program to suit their needs. Most of us, however, are not so tech-savvy.
WebODM in its base model is ready to map and excels at processing accurate and detailed maps and models.
The hardest part about using WebODM is the installation. There are several steps to follow in order to download and install. This is the price you pay for using a free app.
Read on to get the step-by-step installation.
How to install ODM for Windows, Mac, and Linux
Step 1. Download Docker. This is an app that allows you to run WebODM on your computer.
Step 2. Download guitar GitHub. Github is an application that runs code to download and install Web ODM to the Docker platform. While this may sound daunting, it is actually quite simple.
Step 3. Open Docker, open GitHub, and paste in this line of code:
Once copied, paste it into the Github app and press enter. This will allow your computer to begin downloading and running Web ODM. This can take quite some time, so grab a coffee and a donut while you wait.
The end of the process will result in WebODM opening up in Docker.
If this doesn’t work, see here and scroll down for help and more lines of code.
Now you’ll need to open your internet browser and type in: Localhost:8000
(It’s okay if you don’t have a connection to the internet)
You should be shown a login screen/sign-up screen to create your account.
The paid (but basically free version)
The alternative method of downloading WebODM is not free but might as well be compared to the other drone mapping software available out there. This method is known as easy installation and requires you to pay a one-time fee of $57.
Honestly, WebODM is so good that if I were to download it again, I might choose this option just to support the company. See here for the paid option.
How to Use WebODM
Once you’ve successfully downloaded WebODM and have it running on your computer , you’ll be able to begin processing your drone imagery. It’s important to remember that to create a quality map and models,images need to have 70% overlap in each dataset.
Note: WebODM is only a drone mapping software, not an automated flight platform. In order to collect drone images in a grid pattern and with 70 percent overlap, you need to download a flight planner and fly the mission manually following the flight plan. Or download an automated flight software. Most of the software is not free, but you will find some that are quite cheap. If you have a drone such as a Phantom 4 RTK, your drone already has an automated flight executed in it and does not need to download any other software.
WebODM is a local software, which means it runs on your computer. This is important because when selecting your drone imagery, you’ll have to be aware of how many images you are actually uploading to WebODM.
If your computer has low memory, less than 16 GB, you’ll want to stay away from large datasets. A good rule of thumb to follow if your computer has less than 16 GB of memory is to keep your drone images to 100 or less per dataset.
The possibilities open up widely when your computer has over 16 GB of memory. Some users have been able to process over 1,000 images for a data set when the memory is above 16 GB.
Once you’ve successfully uploaded your images, you’ll select what type of map output you want. This is another way WebODM sets itself apart from other software.
WebODM allows you to select whether you want to prioritize:
Orthomosaic quality
Speed of processing
Field
DTM or DSM (elevation and topography)
The forest canopy
Point of Interest
Buildings
3D Models
Volume Analysis
Multispectral
Once you have selected the type of map you want, upload the images. The photos should upload fairly quickly, and then you will press review as shown below. Now WebODM begins processing your map and 3D model.
Orthomosaic
Shown below is an example of how a WebODM orthomosaic will look once exported from WebODM.
Image Credit: Unmanned Aerial Operations
This output is the central output from WebODM. The orthomosaic is the combination of all your images and the data within them to determine elevation, plant health volume, and build the 3D model. However, the orthomosaic is just the 2D map of the site you’re mapping.
When you export the orthomosaic, it will be a .tif file. Tif files are geo-referenced images containing data such as location on planet earth, as well as thousands of kilobytes of image data since your images have been combined into one.
How to create a 3D Model
Shown below is an example of the 3-D model in point cloud format within the WebODM software. As you can see, on the left-hand side are tools and options for the 3-D model.
You can turn that point cloud into a textured model similar to what you might see on google earth or a video game. When the 3-D model is exported, it will be in the format of a textured model.
Along with the exports already covered, also included is the Web ODM report, which contains crucial data on the quality of the survey as well as the model of drone used to conduct the survey and contains previews of the exports from the drone survey.
Elevation
Another export from the software is the DSM digital surface model and the DTM, or digital terrain model. These models are crucial to generating the tomographic map shown below.
Image Credit: Unmanned Aerial Operations
If the DSM, DTM, and topographic map are the priority outcomes from the aerial survey, you need to select DTM+DSM in the map type before you upload and process the images.
WebODM offers tools to conduct measurements on the orthomosaic, such as volume measurement, area measurement, perimeter measurement, and more. This is highly useful if you wish to determine a construction site’s stockpile of materials.
Shown below is an example of a volume measurement using WebODM.
Image Credit: Unmanned Aerial Operations
Plant health
WebODM allows users to process their drone imagery into a plant health map. As shown below, the plant health map is a combination of images, usually containing metadata such as geographic location, RGB reflectivity, and elevation of the surface of the ground in relation to the camera.
Image Credit: Unmanned Aerial Operations
Ground Control
To produce a more accurate orthomosaic, and therefore extract more accurate measurements, it is necessary to use ground control points. If you’re not familiar with ground control points or GCPs, they are spots on the ground at which you know the exact location on earth.
Most of the time, it is necessary to use surveying equipment to gather the exact point at which the ground control point sits.
WebODM offers a ground control points platform within the application. To access the ground control point platform, click on the tab that says “GCP Interface” shown below.
Using ground control points on WebODM is not always the most user-friendly. It becomes easier once you get the hang of it. However, the video shown below will give you an idea of what you need to do to effectively gather and upload ground control points.
QGIS
WebODM alone is a very effective software; however, it is often paired with another free mapping platform to manipulate your data collected and processed with WebODM.
This software is called QGIS. This software is aimed at professionals and individuals who are proficient in using GIS platforms. GIS is short for geographic information systems, and essentially it is a mapmaking and map manipulating platform to which you can upload your orthomosaics from WebODM.
A benefit of using QGIS in tandem with WebODM is its ability to re-project your orthomosaic’s coordinate system into local coordinate systems such as Nad 83. This is beneficial if you are working with a company whose maps are all in a coordinate system not listed on WebODM.
The coordinate system in WebODM can be found in the top right of the image shown below.
This is seemingly the only drawback to WebODM, in the sense that you are limited to which coordinate system you are using. Aside from this singular drawback, WebODM remains in the competition for the top drone mapping software, and certainly wins the competition for best free drone mapping software.
The Best Free Drone Mapping Software
The fact that WebODM is a free drone mapping platform speaks volumes to the creators’ ethics as well as the creators’ ability to create a proficient application.
It is truly a wonder that software as useful and advanced as WebODM is free. But we are so happy that it is.
While orbiting south of the runway in preparation for landing, both the unmanned aircraft’s engines shut down unexpectedly. The External Pilot on the ground, who was visual with the aircraft, took control and landed it without further incident.
The dual-engine shutdown was likely to have been caused by an on-aircraft data error. Various safety actions, including improvements to the aircraft’s hardware and software, and the Ground Control Station software, have been taken to reduce the risk of a reoccurrence.
History of the flight
The unmanned aircraft, G-TEKV, was returning to Lydd Airport from a flight over the English Channel. Flight operations were conducted from a Ground Control Station (GCS) where the crew control the aircraft from takeoff to landing and operate the payload to fulfil the mission objectives. The GCS contained two stations, the flight GCS (fGCS) and the mission GCS (mGCS). The fGCS focused on all aspects of the control of the aircraft platform, whereas the mGCS focused on the mission goals and operation of the payload.
The GCS was manned by the Mission Commander (MC), the oncoming Internal Pilot (IP), the off-going IP, and the Payload Operator (PO). An External Pilot (EP)1 and a Maintenance Technician (MT) were positioned at the side of the runway abeam the intended touchdown position for the aircraft and both could communicate with the IP through airband radios.
While the aircraft was orbiting off the coast prior to transiting back to the airfield, the two IPs conducted a handover; the off-going IP remained to act as a second pilot to assist with the conduct of the remainder of the flight. Meanwhile the EP advised that the wind favoured a landing on Runway 03 with a light crosswind.
The aircraft transited towards the airfield at 700 ft amsl to remain clear of the cloud and icing. On reaching Echo Point, overhead the airfield (Figure 1), the aircraft entered an orbit while the IP, assisted by the off-going IP, proceeded to load the mission waypoints for a landing on Runway 03.
Meanwhile, the EP reported to the GCS that he could hear the aircraft but was not visual with it. The MC instructed the IP to descend the aircraft to 600 ft at which point the EP confirmed that the aircraft was visual and clear of cloud. With the aircraft established at 600 ft in the orbit at Echo Point and the mission points uploaded, the IP informed the EP that the aircraft was set up for the landing. The EP acknowledged and the IP switched the aircraft to route mode2 to proceed with the approach and landing on Runway 03. After the aircraft completed two more orbits, the crew in the GCS noticed that it did not appear to leave the orbit at the expected point to establish itself downwind.
As the aircraft flew the final orbit, the EP outside was expecting the call ‘downwind’ from the GCS team. He noticed the aircraft level its wings, as expected when departing the orbit, but observed the nose drop more than normal. At this point the EP became aware that he was not able to hear the aircraft’s engines. He operated the throttles and confirmed that there was no engine response. The EP switched to fly-by-wire (FBW)3 mode, took control of the aircraft, confirmed control response, and instructed the MT to inform the GCS about the complete loss of engine power.
While this was happening, the flight team in the GCS was first alerted that something was amiss when they observed the aircraft fly on a westerly heading towards the runway and not along the expected track to establish itself downwind parallel to the runway.
None of the team reported seeing or hearing any alarms or warnings. The MC noticed that the height of the aircraft appeared low, and the off-going IP then noticed that the displayed parameters for both engines indicated zero rpm.
The MC, unaware that the EP had already taken control of the aircraft, gave instructions to the IP to advise the EP to do so and went outside the GCS to observe the aircraft. The MT advised the IP that the EP had already taken control and so, from that point on, the IP provided speed information to the EP until the aircraft had landed.
The EP assessed the conditions and positioned the aircraft on final approach; it landed without further incident.
June 2020 event
This event followed a related one that occurred in June 2020 where, during an integration ground test of equipment onto a new AR5 aircraft at the manufacturing and development site in Portugal, both engines shut down, uncommanded by either the GCS or the EP.
