Trimble Takes Flight with UX5

Trimble UX5 UAS

Executives from Trimble, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., announce the availability of the company’s next generation Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) - the Trimble UX5 aerial imaging rover with the Trimble Access aerial imaging application. Combined with the Trimble Business Center photogrammetry office software module, the Trimble UX5 offers a complete UAS photogrammetric mapping solution specifically designed for surveyors and geospatial professionals.

Trimble's UAS for photogrammetric aerial mapping allows surveyors and geospatial professionals to collect data with an unmanned aircraft for large projects. A wide variety of traditional surveying applications such as topographic surveying, site and route planning, progress monitoring, volume calculations, disaster analysis, and as-builts in industries such as surveying, oil & gas, mining, environmental services, and agriculture, can now benefit from aerial imaging by allowing professionals to safely collect large amounts of accurate data in a short time. 

The Trimble UX5 can provide a safer method to collect data compared to traditional surveying methods, according to a company press release. Flights are fully automated, from launch to landing, and require no piloting skills. The operator facilitates the aircraft's operation and built-in safety procedures can ensure safe and successful launches. Data collection can be performed remotely without exposing individuals to hazardous terrain, environmental contaminants or heavy equipment and machinery. 

Incorporating a mirrorless 16-megapixel camera with a fixed focal-length external lens, the Trimble UX5 provides high-resolution imagery and accurate deliverables. 

Designed to operate in real-world conditions, the Trimble UX5 is capable of flights between 75m and 750m (approximately 246ft and 2,460ft) above ground level and can be flown in light rain and windy conditions, up to 65kph (approximately 40mph).

The Trimble UX5 airframe is comprised of a carbon frame inside expanded polypropylene. Impact-resistant plastics and composite fibers are used for the aircraft components, including winglets and belly plate. This design and choice of materials creates a rigid aircraft with strong torsional stability and the ability to withstand rough landings. 

Trimble Business Center allows surveyors and other geospatial professionals to combine aerial photography with data collected from GNSS receivers, total stations, 3D laser scanners, and more. By combining imagery from the Trimble UX5 and any Trimble VISION instruments, users can visualize their project from both aerial and terrestrial perspectives, measure points within the images, and create 3D models of the infrastructure and terrain.

The new Trimble UX5 aerial imaging solution, including the Trimble Access aerial imaging application, is available now through Trimble's Survey Distribution Channel in markets where UAS commercial operations are permitted. The Trimble Business Center photogrammetry module is available now.