ESEN GöRDES™ Vision Based Navigation (VBN) System successfully demonstrated on Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAS in GPS-denied environment

July 27, 2023

Ankara, Türkiye – ESEN GöRDES™ Vision Based Navigation (VBN) System was successfully demonstrated on the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS). Equipped with GöRDES™, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAS proved it can successfully operate in a GPS-denied environment.  ESEN General Manager Cem Uğur and SCHIEBEL Chairman Hans Georg Schiebel welcomed the successful trials and stated their joint aim is to integrate GöRDES™ Vision Based Navigation (VBN) System into the CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAS to offer customers globally a jam and spoofing resilient platform for challenging missions. GöRDES™, which can be integrated into various (rotorcraft, multi-copter and fixed wing) platforms, from mini Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) to MALE UAVs, has proved its capability to provide accurate navigation data under GNSS-denied environments. GöRDES™ was specifically developed to provide a solution for GNSS jamming and spoofing. As conflicts around the world increase, GNSS jamming is more frequently used to prevent rival UAS operations. Furthermore, GNSS jamming is increasingly becoming a problem for civilian users of GNSS. UAS that are subject to jamming, generally depend on inertial navigation methods, that drift due to their nature. In such circumstances, GöRDES is an effective alternative solution to continue a safe flight. 

About GöRDES 

ESEN started developing indigenous VBN technology back in 2018. GöRDES™ produces accurate and real time position, velocity, and attitude information for aerial vehicles under GNSS denied conditions via onboard imaging and real time image processing techniques, mitigates GNSS vulnerability, enabling aerial vehicles to safely navigate in GNSS-denied environments. As of today, ESEN GöRDES™ has been tested on platforms ranging from NATO Class III-MALE to Class I-Mini UASs, from 500 feet to 15.000 feet AGL altitudes. Tests not only included different altitudes but also different seasons, times of the day, illumination conditions, different geographies like mountainous regions, forests, steppes, semi-cloudy and foggy times etc. The tests have shown that, mean absolute error (MAE) of 19m (horizontal) and 4 m (vertical) at 10.000 ft AGL, 23 m (horizontal) and 5 m (vertical) at 15.000 ft AGL and down to 5m (horizontal) and 1 m (vertical) at 1000 ft AGL flights for the real-time estimated position are achieved. The tests have been concluded for the daytime version. Night-time version is under development. For more information, visit https://www.esensi.com.tr/product/gordes 

About ESEN 

ESEN, lead innovator and system integrator for image processing and navigation technologies, was established in 2012 as an affiliated company of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) (https://www.sncorp.com/). ESEN develops engineering solutions in the fields of aviation, space, defense and security. ESEN is known for its capabilities in aviation, image processing & remote sensing, EW/SIGINT, avionics systems, unmanned aerial systems and software development. The company has undertaken and completed programs involving aircraft modifications, software and hardware integrations, certification consultancy, developed unique solutions in Vision Based Navigation Systems, Wide Area Surveillance Systems for airborne & land-based platforms, Traffic and Terrain Collision 

Avoidance Systems (TCAS II), airborne and land-based COMINT/SIGINT equipment, Command and Control, Mission Management Systems, Fixed Wing & Hybrid Fixed Wing VTOL Unmanned Aerial Systems, Data Fusion and Big Data Analytics Solutions. For more information, visit www.esensi.com.tr/en 

About Schiebel: 

Founded in 1951 in Vienna, the globally operating Schiebel Group focuses on the development, design and production of the revolutionary CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS). Certified to meet AS/EN 9100 standards, Schiebel has built an international reputation for producing high-tech military, commercial and humanitarian products, which are backed by exceptional after-sales service and support. Schiebel has facilities in Vienna and Wiener Neustadt (Austria), Manassas, VA (USA), Abu Dhabi (UAE), and Shoalhaven (Australia). www.schiebel.net  

About the CAMCOPTER® S-100: 

Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is an operationally proven capability for military and civilian applications. The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS requires no prepared area or supporting equipment to enable launch and recovery. It operates by day and by night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km / 108 nm, over land and sea. Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 5,500 m / 18,000 ft. In a typical configuration, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 carries a 34-kg / 75-lbs payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or JP-5 heavy fuel. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. In addition to its standard GPS waypoint or manual navigation, the S-100 can successfully operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled via a simple point-and click graphical user interface. The high-tech unmanned helicopter is backed by Schiebel’s excellent customer support and training services.