Geo Sense is using CropCam, a Canadian glider based UAV system for AirSense high resolution aerial mapping project. Cropcam UAV is installed with a stable miropilot chipset, an autonomous system and can only manage by Horizon (tm) a ground control software that does pre-flight planning and on flight navigation monitoring. The software will calculate the flight covering areas, altitudes and number of waypoint based images to be taken for required resolution. Cropcam and Horizon belong to an innovative 19 staffs Manitoba company, Micropilot. Micropilot is not like Boeing but they are couriering their products to 60 countries, and Geo Sense is one of cropcam proud owners, and also the first Malaysian private customer. Leagues of their own, Cropcam has made an impact to future of autonomous technology in aerospace industry. Geo Sense sees the opportunity in autonomous flight system beyond military utilization and we hope to extend our roles. As a small company we always have our own limitation when it come to R&D.Last May 2009, I had an opportunity to visit few Taiwan aerospace players who are also involved in designing and producing UAV. One of Taiwanese aviation companies that I visited was Yoshine, the President of Yoshine is Mr Charlies, who lectured at Ohio University (Columbus) prior to setting up Yoshine in Taiwan. He asked me to look at all G8 countries, and their strength similarity, in order to reach a well developed nation a nation must established an aviation or aerospace industry as the values spin off from this industry is much higher and greater than others. We also learned history that for centuries East had conquered most of the world commercial shipping line but the West took over after they establishing and controlling the world airspace technology.
We are a new nation, in many instances, Malaysia has started with the right note, in Telecommunication, Biotechnology and Aerospace. We always want to prove to the world that we can (Malaysia Boleh) and we are the first. Which is good spirit for young country like us to send one or two heroes to the outer space. Yet not many know how far the values are created from our astronaut experimenting juggling balls in the space. We are lucky because we are relatively a rich country with a far sighted leadership, thus we invest world class facilities in an abundance. In UTM Automotive and Aviation Faculty for eg. we have the biggest wind tunnel system in South East Asia, the most technology parks in South East Asia, the advance here and there. But, can we produce the right value beyound Malaysia Boleh but to a real value that change the world or build a real impact to the inventor, company and nation.
One of the main agenda in Geo Sense is not just to provide services in aerial photo and remote sensing but also to design and produce our very own UAV system. We are working closely with UTM Aviation Faculty in various planning and designing stages, especially on endurance and airframe system. I personally see the need to have our microprocessor designing team and having our own flight autonomous system. Right now we do not have much choice, we can only rely on USA, Canada and European suppliers or producers. We are living in a risky and uncertainty world. When it come to money often time wiser friends keep reminding us, why need to re-invent the wheel, create applications, utilization. This kind of statement has been keeping us at consumer bay for years, we never try to search for reasons of things come to work. We never try to explore andd open the new possibility at it based. There come a time, when the producer will come together in term and restrict the distribution of this autonomous system in the name of security. Than there stop innovation at this side of the world, are we ready.
