First unmanned aerial vehicle airborne gravimetry based on the CH-4 UAV in China

Abstract

As one of the important ways to obtain gravity fields, airborne gravimetry has been widely used because of its high efficiency and multiple scenario applicability. Compared with the manned aircraft commonly used in airborne gravimetry, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms will provide a safer environment for pilots and surveyors. Based on the airborne gravimetry system integrated within a CH-4 UAV, this study carried out multiple gravimetry sorties in the survey area, including long-endurance gravimetry sorties. The test results show that the SGA-WZ04 gravimeter developed by the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) can carry out gravimetry tests for >20 h on the modified CH-4 UAV platform and complete measurement tasks safely and reliably. From analysis of the gravity data processing results, the repeatability of the repeat lines is 0.35 mGal/3 km, and the external coincidence accuracy after fitting with the EGM2008 model is 0.47 mGal/3 km. The results provide strong support for the future expansion and layout of airborne gravimetry in areas where the use of manned aircraft is costly and operationally inefficient, such as medium and distant seas.