High-Precision Position & Orientation Solutions for UAVs, Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles

Trimble Applanix is an industry-leading developer of high-precision position and orientation solutions for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), robotics and autonomous vehicles, based on cutting-edge GNSS-aided inertial technology and sensor fusion algorithms.

Our solutions are designed to support complex and dynamic applications on land, at sea and in the air, unlocking enhanced productivity and efficiency and allowing drone and robotics businesses to achieve greater profitability with rapid return on investment.

Direct georeferencing for UAVs

UAVs are now the tool of choice for a wide variety of aerial survey, mapping, GIS and inspection applications. In order to effectively utilize the data gathered by these platforms, such as orthophotos and LiDAR scans, accurate georeferencing must be applied so that measurement, mapping, and data analysis can be completed.

Applanix’ direct georeferencing products do away with the need for costly and time-consuming ground control point collection, while offering compact and lightweight board-level solutions that minimize the impact on drone SWaP (size, weight and power) budgets.

The APX line is ideal for RGB and thermal cameras, LiDAR scanners, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, and SAR (synthetic aperture radar systems), and supports a wide range of use cases including:

• Precision agriculture
• Powerline, railway & pipeline surveys
• Wind turbine & energy facility inspection
• Mining & geology
• Firefighting & emergency/disaster response

Learn more: Direct georeferencing for UAVs

Positioning & orientation for vehicle automation

The future of self-driving and autonomous vehicle navigation is reliant upon the most robust and reliable positioning and orientation information. This information must be provided at all times, even under the most challenging of environments such as under bridges, in urban canyons, and under heavy vegetation, where GNSS signals may be interrupted or corrupted.

Applanix POS LV utilizes advanced inertial navigation to provide accurate position and orientation estimates even during GNSS outages, allowing autonomous vehicles to self-navigate in the most difficult driving conditions.

Learn more: Positioning & orientation for vehicle automation

Products

Trimble PX-1 RTX

Triple-frequency GNSS-inertial solution with centimeter-level accuracy

The Trimble PX-1 RTX is a small form factor positioning solution incorporating embedded triple-frequency multi-constellation GNSS hardware, inertial sensing capabilities that provide high-accuracy true heading in any environment, and Applanix IN-Fusion multi-sensor fusion technology. Thanks to over-the-air Trimble CenterPoint RTX Correction services, it can achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy without the need for base stations.

The compact and lightweight system provides the continuous high-accuracy orientation and position information required for autonomous drone takeoff, landing and navigation. With advanced multipath mitigation and protecting against jamming and spoofing attacks, it ensures the utmost in safety for the next generation of commercial drone operations.

Trimble APX RTX

Direct georeferencing solution for UAV mapping sensors

The Trimble APX RTX is a compact board-level direct georeferencing solution designed to allow drone OEMs and payload integrators to achieve centimeter-level accurate mapping. Able to receive real-time CenterPoint RTX correction services via satellite or cellular, it does away with the need for base stations, and utilizes cutting-edge MEMS inertial sensors for precise roll, pitch, and heading measurements.

The APX RTX is available in four different models to suit a range of applications:

• APX-15 RTX: Entry-level model with onboard IMU-103 for low-altitude and line of sight flights
• APX-20 RTX: with onboard IMU-104, ideal for higher-altitude flights and low-noise mapping sensors
• APX-30 RTX: with onboard IMU-104 and external IMU-93 for improved orientation performance on higher-altitude and longer BVLOS flights
• APX-50 RTX: with onboard IMU-104 coupled with external IMU-95, allowing UAVs to replace traditional crewed flights at high altitudes over long distances

Applanix POS LV

Position and orientation system for UGVs and land vehicles

Applanix POS LV is a turnkey positioning and orientation system designed for UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) and land-based autonomous vehicles operating under highly challenging GNSS conditions. Utilizing survey-grade GNSS hardware and advanced IMU technology, it delivers repeatable low-latency real-time data and enables raw GNSS information from as few as one satellite to be processed directly into the system for accurate positioning during periods of intermittent or no GNSS reception.

In addition to the standard model, Applanix POS LV is also available in two additional variants:

• Applanix POS LVX – ruggedized small form factor solution designed for smaller autonomous vehicles and mobile mapping platforms
• Trimble RT200 – includes a high-G IMU for enhanced accuracy and performance in the most demanding and dynamic of environments

Applanix POS MV

Marine positioning, heading & attitude measurement system for USVs & remote sensing platforms

Applanix POS MV is a full six degree-of-freedom position and orientation solution that delivers high-accuracy position, heading, attitude, heave, and velocity data for USVs (uncrewed surface vessels) and marine remote sensing equipment. By blending accurate inertial data with observables from as few as one GNSS satellite, the system computes robust and continuous outputs even when GNSS reception is compromised.Applanix POS MV is ideal for a wide range of high-precision marine applications including hydrographic seafloor and coastal mapping, harbor mapping, and bridge and structural surveys. It is designed for use with multibeam sonar systems, enabling adherence to IHO standards on sonar swath widths of greater than ± 75 degrees under all dynamic conditions.

The system is available in four variants:

• Applanix POS MV SurfMaster / SurfMaster One – entry-level solution for small unmanned marine platforms
• Applanix POS MV WaveMaster II & OceanMaster – enhanced performance under increasingly difficult conditions
• Applanix POS MV Elite – offers the highest level of performance available to the industry