2007 AUVSI Undergraduate Student UAS Competition Mississippi State University March 23, 2007

Overview Introduction of team X-ipiter Budget and Schedule What is a UAS? AUVSI Competition Rules and Regulations Air Vehicle System Components Real World Applications Conclusion and Questions

Participating Departments Department of Kinesiology

Team Advisors: Dr. Randolph Follett ECE Assistant Professor Calvin Walker ASE Research Associate Team Leads: Team Lead – Savannah Ponder, ASE – Jr. Air Vehicle Lead – Nathan Ingle, Kinesiology – Jr. Systems Lead – Brandon Lasseigne, ASE – Sr.

Air Vehicle: Marty Brennan (SR, ASE) Sam Curtis (SR, ASE) Jonathan Fikes (SR, ME) Mike Hodges (SR, GR) Richard Kirkpatrick (SO, ASE) Trent Ricks (SO, ASE) Wade Spurlock (FR, ASE) Systems: Chris Brown (Grad, EE) Joshua Lasseigne (SR, CPE) Brittany Penland (SR, ABE) Chris Edwards (JR, EE) Daniel Wilson (SO, CPE) William Cleveland (SO, CPE/ASE) Team Members

Budget Allocated Funds: $6,500 –ASE - $2,000 –ECE - $2,000 –Miltec - $1,000 –5D Systems - $1,500 Current Expenses: $2,232 Approximate Travel Expenses: $5,000

Schedule

What is UAS? And what is the difference between UAV and UAS? Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. Ballistic or semiballistic vehicles, cruise missiles, and artillery projectiles are not considered unmanned aerial vehicles. –DOD Joint Publication 1-02 Unmanned Aerial System – A system comprised of one or more UAVs and the associated Ground Control Station for command, control, and communication and applicable payloads to perform various missions in either the civilian or military environment.

Mission Objective “The complete mission objectives are for an unmanned, radio controllable aircraft to be launched and transition or continue to autonomous flight, navigate a specified course, use onboard payload sensors to locate and assess a series of man-made objects in a search area prior to returning to the launch point for landing.” - AUVSI Student Competition Rules

Scored Factors Takeoff Waypoint Navigation Search Area Landing Total Mission Time

Scored Factors Takeoff Manual or autonomous –Objective: autonomous takeoff Paved asphalt surface

Scored Factors Waypoint Navigation Autonomous Flight (Required) Search –Must pass over each waypoint –Must avoid no-fly zones Airspeed –Requirement of two speed variations Waypoints –Announced prior to flight portion of the competition

Scored Factors Waypoint Navigation In-route Search –Target positioned directly along the 500 feet MSL search zone –Targets may be positioned up to 250 feet from the search path, while at 200 feet MSL Targets –Plywood targets 7 possible shape configurations 6 possible sizes 7 possible background colors 7 possible alphanumeric colors 3 possible alphanumeric heights 3 possible alphanumeric thicknesses –Threshold: identify two target parameters –Objective: identify five target parameters

Scored Factors Search Area Can choose the search pattern Flight altitude –Between 100 feet MSL and 750 feet MSL Dynamically re-task in flight –Utilize to locate a “pop-up” target Target Location Identification –Threshold: ddd.mm.ss.ssss within 250 ft –Objective: ddd.mm.ss.ssss within 50 ft

Scored Factors Landing Manual or autonomous landing –Objective: autonomous landing Control on landing –Scored Completion –“When the air vehicle motion ceases, engine is shut down, and the mission data sheet and imagery have been provided to the judges.” – AUVSI Competition Rules

Scored Factors Total Mission Time Allotted amount of time –40 minutes –Objective: 20 minutes Actionable Intelligence –Real time observation and target data recorded

Competition Scoring 50% Mission Performance 25% Journal Paper 25% Oral Briefing/Static Display

Air Vehicle Regulations from AUVSI Evolutionary approach Current Plane Construction Methods Performance Static Stability and Control

Regulations from AUVSI Weight –Less than 55 lbs Manual override capability Flight termination Airspeed –100 knots Sensors –No ground based sensors Capable of changes to airspeed and altitude Environmental considerations –Crosswinds: 8 knots with 11 knots gusts –Wind: 15 knots with 20 knots gusts at the mission altitude –Temperature: 110 degrees F at 1000 ft MSL

Evolutionary Approach Telemaster X-1 X-2 X-2.5

Evolutionary Approach Telemaster Used in the 2004 AUVSI Undergraduate Student UAV Competition Configuration: –Tail dragger –High wing –Split horizontal stabilizer –Glow fuel engine –Flat bottom airfoil Problems: –Insufficient internal space –Insufficient payload capacity

Evolutionary Approach X-1 Used for 2005 AUVSI Undergraduate Student UAV Competition Configuration –Tricycle landing gear –Conventional propulsion configuration –Main fuselage with central wing placement –Gasoline powered engine –SD7062 airfoil Problems –Access to the payload area very limited –Weight –Camera interference –Electromagnetic Interference

Evolutionary Approach X-2 Used in 2006 AUVSI Undergraduate Student UAV Competition Data from camera interference solved Configuration –Twin boom –Pusher –Tricycle landing gear –Main fuselage with central wing configuration –High horizontal stabilizer configuration –SD7062 airfoil Problems –High cruise airspeed –Weight

X-2.5 Current configuration –Evolutionary design of X-2 Improvement methods –Decreased the minimum flight speed –Increased the fuselage length to handle volumetric problems –Modified layup schedule to reduce weight –Brakes to reduce landing distance –Camera control software –Connectors

X-2.5 continued Wings: –Airfoil: SD7062 –Span: in –Chord: in –Area: in 2 –Aspect ratio: 8.00 –Wing loading: 3.80 psf Fuselage: –Length: in

X-2.5 continued Empennage –Horizontal Airfoil: J5012 Span: in Chord: 9.00 in Area: in 2 Aspect Ratio: 3.59 –Vertical (twin) Airfoil: J5012 Height: 7.0 in Chord: 9.25 in Area: in 2 Aspect Ratio: 0.76

Evolutionary Solutions to Problems Materials –More robust –Increased payload capability Internal Space –Increased volume –Accessibility –Layout Camera Interference –Relocated the engine behind the camera –Suspend the camera in the interior of the fuselage –Engine vibration isolation mount

Evolutionary Solutions to Problems Continued Electromagnetic Interference –Shielded and grounded electronic components –Composite airframe Manufacturability –Molds Weight –Modified the layup schedule Airspeed –Decreased cruise airspeed

X-2.5 Construction Fuselage Wings Empennage Landing Gear

X-2.5 Construction Fuselage Fuselage skin –Sandwich construction with fiberglass/Divinycell foam Bulkheads: –Sandwich construction with carbon/birch wood or honeycomb

X-2 Construction Continued Wings Wing Skins –Sandwich construction with graphite/Divinycell foam Ribs –Sandwich construction with graphite/polyurethane foam Tubular carbon main spar and anti-torque spar

X-2 Construction Continued Empennage Horizontal and Vertical stabilizers: –Sandwich construction with graphite/balsa wood Ribs: –Sandwich construction with graphite/balsa wood Booms: –Carbon composite tubes

X-2 Construction Continued Landing Gear Tricycle landing gear formation Wet lay up carbon composite construction

Performance Airspeed –Maximum: 100 knots –Minimum cruise speed: 38 knots Ceiling –2,000 feet Endurance –1 hour Takeoff distance –200 feet Landing distance –200 feet

Static Stability and Control Cm  = per radian - Static Margin: 21% - Statically stable longitudinally Cn  = per radian - Statically stable directionally Cl  = per radian - Statically stable laterally

Systems Team Required by AUVSI Air vehicle electrical layout Ground control station layout Command/Telemetry Autopilot Camera control Surveillance

Required by AUVSI Takeoff and landing –May or may not be autonomous Continuous flight –Must be autonomous Manual Override Waypoint navigation –Autonomous –Show the search area Dynamically re-task –Change the search area Imagery –Show imagery in real-time or record the required data for each target

Air Vehicle Electrical Layout

Ground Control Station Layout

Command/Telemetry

Autopilot Micropilot 2028g –Weight: 28 grams –Dimensions: Length: 10 centimeters Width: 4 centimeters Height: 1.5 centimeters –Programmable waypoints –Complete autonomous operations: takeoff, flight, landing. –Supports 24 servos

Autopilot Horizon Ground Control Software –Takeoff and landing –Dynamically re-tasking Testing with X-2

Camera Control Programmed in C# Receives input from camera control device Communicates with camera –Sets pan/tilt/zoom –Receives pan/tilt/zoom information for calculations Captures digital video from camera –Can take snapshots for analysis

Surveillance Camera –Sony D70 Pan/Tilt/Zoom Micropilot/Camera –Used to find the GPS coordinates of each target X-ipiter Base Station Software (XBS) –Labview based program

XBS

X-ipiter Unmanned Aerial System

Real World Application Warfare Today Theater Wide Demand Real Time Intelligence Response To Troops in Contact Managed Chaos Real world application section of this brief was prepared by SGT Mike Hodges, Aviation Operations Specialist, 2-20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), member of Team X-ipiter.

Real World Application Current UAV Gap

Practical Applications of X-2.5 Law enforcement Border patrol Agriculture Surveying Search and rescue

Sponsors

Conclusion

Questions? If it Kwax,it must be a Xawk!