BARNARD MICROSYSTEMS LIMITED

helping you keep an eye on things...

Unmanned Air ...

what we do

• We design navigation, communication and flight control systems for UAVs
• We develop miniaturised sensor instruments for use on UAVs
• We develop small UAVs for use in R+D applications
• We create software to manage and analyse data from instruments on a UAV
• We critique UAV related strategies for companies, startups and venture capital firms
• We participate in competitive Grand Challenge events
• Work towards enabling Unmanned Aircraft to fly in non-segregated air space
• Conferences and presentations

• Download a copy of our Corporate Brochure.

• We design miniature, high performance, systems:

• UAV navigation, communication and flight control systems;
• UAV collision sensing systems;
• UAV based sensor systems.

• We develop small Unmanned Air Vehicles for use in Research and Development applications.
• We create software and develop strategies:

• software to process and analyse data from instruments on a UAV;
• Unmanned Air Vehicle application strategies.

• We specialise in high performance, low signal level and high frequency, electronic and optoelectronic circuit and system design. We also develop scientific data processing and data fusion software.

We provide independent, professional, advice and system design and development services. We are especially focused on the civilian aspects of Unmanned Air Vehicles and their sensor systems, although many of these high performance systems can be used in security applications. You can contact us at

• Download a copy of our Corporate Brochure.

We design,develop and test high performance navigation, communication and flight control systems, based on years of experience in the design of optoelectronic transceivers operating from 155 MBit per second right up to 11.3 GBit per second.

• Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
• Flight Control Unit (FCU)
• Communications Management Unit (CMU)
• Air speed indicator unit for a UAV
• Ultrasonic altimeter, for use in automated take off and landing
• Precision microwave and millimetre wave altimeter and collision detection unit

We attend the major international technical conferences, such as the Optical Fiber Conference 2007 in Anaheim, so we are up to date with the latest technical advances, and are aware of the latest optoelectronic and microwave components.

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The latest additions to our microwave and optoelectronic test equipment: the HP 54825A oscilloscope with a bandwidth of 500 MHz and a sampling rate of 2 GSa/s, on top of an Agilent 4285A Precision LCR meter.

• Scanning LIDAR systems
• Imaging systems mounted on a stabilised platform:

• high resolution visual
• infra-red
• thermal

• Stereo imaging systems mounted on a stabilized platform

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• We develop small UAVs, typically with a 1.5m wingspan, for use in Research and Development activities to test navigation, flight control, communication and sensor systems. These UAVs are based on the following airframes:

• Ripmax Bossanova
• Irvine Tutor 40
• Vmar Stik
• multi-engine airframes of our own design

• We design towed sensor systems with active flight stabilisation

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• Ground control software
• Image correction and merging
• Management and display of stereo imagery
• Integration of:

• visual, Infra-red and thermal images
• magnetic and gravity data into maps

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UAV technology presents decisive advantages in many areas of activity. However, there may also be problems in the immediate application of this technology. Timing is critical. Wait too long and your competitors could well reap tremendous cost savings, or, benefit from more accurate survey data. Proceed without a strategy and you could waste money when you confront unexpected regulatory issues and the unreliability of current UAVs. We are a completely independent company and can help to define a detailed strategy, identifying areas in which UAV technology could benefit your business. We will suggest whether you should get involved at all and if so, when you should get involved and at what level.

• we design precision navigation, flight control and communication systems, for use in UAVs;
• we develop miniaturised sensor systems, that can be carried on small UAVs;
• we keep up to date with all the international UAV news;
• we subscribe to “Unmanned Vehicles,” published by The Shephard Press;
• we are a member of Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) International;
• we are a member of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)

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• The Barnard Microsystems Team was selected as one of six teams funded by the UK Ministry of Defence to participate in the Grand Challenge competition in August 2008. The kick-off meeting occurred at the Army Urban Warfare training centre at Copehill Down on Mondat 30th July 2007.
• We will be using technology developed for pipeline monitoring in the competition and we will also apply new technology developed as part of the Grand Challenge to improve our pipeline monitoring capabilities
• For more details on our involvement in the MoD Grand Challenge

• We are working within the context of EuroCAE Working Group 73 to contribute towards recommendations to enable Unamnned Aircraft Systems to fly in non-segregated air space. Our contributions to date include:

• EuroCAE Working Group 73 meeting in Paris from 21 - 22 March 2007
• EuroCAE Working Group 73 Plenary Meeting at EuroControl HQ in Brussels from 29 - 31 May 2007
• We are an active contributor in the Command and Control Sub-Group #3 of EuroCAE Working Group 73 developing the recommendations for the integration of Unmanned Air Vehicles in commercial air space.

• Joe Barnard of Barnard Microsystems Limited is the "Small UAS Focus Group" Leader in EuroCAE Working Group 73. A Small (< 150 kg takeoff weight) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Special Interest Group web site has been set up at www.smalluas.com where anyone can view progress and contribute towards the development of a global set of recommendations in respect of the air worthiness, operations and command and control of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

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See the papers + presentations section to download a copy of any of our papers and / or presentations.

• we contribute articles to industry standard publications. We also attend and contribute at major conferences, to keep abreast of the latest developments and requirements, in respect of UAVs and the associated navigation, flight control and sensor systems:

• Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi) 2005 in London
• Farnborough 2006 in the U.K.
• The Society of Exploration Geophysicists Conference 2006 in New Orleans
• The Optical Fibre Conference (OFC) 2007 in Anaheim, California
• Paper in the June 2007 issue of the oil and gas exploration industry magazine called Hart E&P
• Presentation at the UAV 2007 Conference in Paris from 12 - 14 June 2007
• Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi) 2007 in London

Interesting dual rotor UAV helicopter at the Harris stand at DSEi 2007.

• Attended EuroCAE Work Group 73 Leaders Meeting at EuroControl in Brussels on Monday 8th October to discuss progress on recommendations for air worthiness, operations and command and control of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
• Attended ASTRAEA Meeting in Bristol on 17th October, 2007
• Presentation to be given at the Institute of Engineering and Technology ("IET") Seminar on 5th December 2007 at Savoy Place in London on "Communicating with UAVs", where the title of Dr Barnard's presentation is "Small UAV (< 150 kg TOW) Command, Control and Communication Issues".

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(C) Barnard Microsystems Limited 2006 - 2007