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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

NovAtel Inc. Technology is OnBoard Neural Robotics’ Autonomous Mini-Helicopter

NovAtel Inc. announced that its GPS engine is onboard Neural Robotics Inc.’s (NRI) AutoCopter™ Express Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

10.01.2007 — NovAtel Inc. (NASDAQ: NGPS), a precise positioning technology company, announced that its GPS engine is onboard Neural Robotics Inc.’s (NRI) AutoCopter™ Express Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - a fully autonomous and electric-powered mini-helicopter that can be used as an aerial platform in the sky for applications including aerial photography, surveillance, pipeline and utility line inspection, convoy escort, and mine detection.

The key technology in the AutoCopter is NRI’s patented neural network-based flight control system. The algorithms in this system provide the “intelligence” to allow operators, without any piloting experience, to maneuver the helicopter (via joysticks on the transmitter) to takeoff and land, fly to a point and hover, etc. The system can also be flown in a fully autonomous mode (automatic takeoff, pre-programmed flight path, and automatic landing). The system consists of NovAtel’s GPS+ Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) capable engine combined with a PC/104 computer, and attitude and heading reference system.

“NovAtel is excited to be onboard such an innovative UAV. Our feature rich, precision GPS engines are ideally suited to applications such as the AutoCopter. NovAtel continues to make strides in this emerging market segment with currently over 25 design wins in both military and commercial sectors,” according to Graham Purves, Vice President of Sales for NovAtel.

“NRI has depended on the quality and reliability of NovAtel’s GPS receivers since the inception of our company. The flexibility of their product line allows us to tailor GPS solutions according to the requirements of each AutoCopter customer,” according to Michael Fouche, CEO of NRI.

About Neural Robotics Inc.
NRI specializes in the design and manufacture of affordable unmanned rotorcraft (called AutoCopter™) for both the commercial and government markets and has exported AutoCopters to three continents (Europe, Asia, and South America). NRI’s core technology is the set of neural network flight control algorithms that allow the operator to fly the AutoCopter with confidence - whether performing aerial surveys or carrying a payload that is slung 30 feet under the AutoCopter. For more information, visit http://www.neural-robotics.com.

About NovAtel Inc.
NovAtel designs, markets and sells high-precision GPS and other positioning components and sub-systems used in a wide variety of commercial applications principally in the aviation, geomatics (surveying and mapping), mining, precision agriculture, marine and defence industries. NovAtel is also the principal supplier of reference receivers to national aviation ground networks in the US, Japan, Europe, China and India. NovAtel’s solutions combine hardware, such as receivers and antennas, with software to enable its customers to fully integrate the Company’s high-precision GPS technology into their respective products and systems. NovAtel, an ISO 9001 certified company, is focused on supplying core high-precision positioning technology to OEMs and system integrators who build systems for various end market applications. For more information, visit http://www.novatel.com.

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