One of the main technical issues that don’t let to perform a prolonged use of drones is the way it is managed the energy provided by their batteries. The main reason is the high consumption required by this kind of vehicles, mainly by its motor(s) but also other components. Currently, multirotor drones with the highest autonomy are able to reach flights of 60 minutes with a single battery.
Battery management on drones with Veronte Autopilot
Usually, civil drones notify automatically as soon as their batteries are close to be totally discharged; in addition, the useful life of these batteries can be shortened if they are not charged/discharged and saved under optimal conditions. Nevertheless, the Veronte Autopilot includes current and voltage level sensors that can be used to customize cell voltage, to send warnings whenever the battery is low as well as permitting automations such as “go home”, to lower the altitude or to activate a parachute, depending on the energy level specified (trigger of the automation) on the autopilot. On this way, flights are optimized according to the limitations of the battery, avoiding not only risks on the own drone, but also a misuse of the battery that could shorten its life.
The Veronte Autopilot is compatible with a wide range of current sensors, monitoring on this way the electric consumption on real time during the flight as well as permitting to obtain accurate data about the consumption on every flight moment and to optimize it. On this way, it is possible to accurately calculate the remaining flight time through the battery discharge curve, allowing a more effective control of drone energy while performing flights. With this, the Veronte Autopilot optimizes the flight better than any other autopilot, providing critical information such as the remaining energy level on real time, what allows to prevent over-discharges of the battery and to configure automations that allow to perform safe maneuvers in case the UAV is not able to safely finish its mission due to energy issues.