How do onboard sensors enhance UAS operations?

Onboard sensors significantly enhance UAS operations by providing real-time data for navigation. These sensors can include GPS, altimeters, inertial measurement units, cameras, and environmental sensors that gather crucial information about the UAS's surroundings and its own state. By integrating this data into the flight control system, UAS can navigate more effectively, avoid obstacles, maintain stable flight, and perform complex maneuvers automatically or semi-autonomously.

The availability of real-time data allows remote operators to make informed decisions and enhances situational awareness, enabling safer and more efficient flights. For instance, a UAS equipped with a GPS sensor can determine its precise location, while a combination of lidar and cameras can help in obstacle detection, thereby increasing the overall reliability of the operations. This capability is essential, especially for applications like surveying, mapping, search and rescue, and agricultural monitoring, where precision and situational awareness are critical.