u‑blox’s NEO‑M8P high precision RTK GNSS module will now be used by HEX Taiwan for their new Here+ drone navigation kit. HEX Taiwan is one of the world's leading open source hardware manufacturers that produce one of the best open source drone autopilots in the world.
The Here+ RTK (Real Time Kinematics) GNSS kit by HEX is supported by Ardupilot. It consists of a round rover designed to be mounted on the drone and is connected to the flight controller using the supplied 8‑pin CLIK-Mate connector (for the autopilot Pixhawk2) or an optional 4pin+6pin DF13 connector (for the Pixhawk1). The base station with its smaller GNSS receiver and an external antenna complete the equipment. Also, embedded in Here+ is the u‑blox NEO‑M8P module series. It is the smallest, lightest and most energy‑efficient high precision GNSS RTK module available on the market, bringing centimeter-level positioning accuracy. It is also a complete and versatile solution thanks to its base and rover variants.
According to a report by Goldman Sachs, the drone market should surge to a $100 billion market by 2020, as demand for commercial drones is on the rise. At the same time, there is a clear demand for accurate positioning and navigation at an affordable cost level. HEX’s goal is therefore to promote open source drone technology to a larger community and assist drone companies with affordable accessories. The Here+ meets these needs and can be used in a wealth of applications, such as agricultural drone, powerline inspection, precision farming, logistics, or 3D mapping, etc.
HEX will be showcasing the Pixhawk2 and Here+ at the UAV Show China 2017 from June 12 - June 14, 2017 as well as at the Shenzhen International UAV Expo 2017 from June 23 - June 25, 2017 in China.
