Design and Development of an Autonomous Hybrid UAV

The aim is the design, construction, development and demonstration of an Autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS), with a Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) of 6.9 kg, and operating within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS). The Unmanned Aircraft (UA) will be designed to undertake a representative humanitarian ai

Project Title

Design and Development of an Autonomous Hybrid UAV

Project Area of Specialization

Mechatronics Engineering

Project Summary

The aim is the design, construction, development and demonstration of an Autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS), with a Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) of 6.9 kg, and operating within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS). The Unmanned Aircraft (UA) will be designed to undertake a representative humanitarian aid mission. The system will be autonomous, capable of performing a series of tasks such as area search, waypoint navigation, accurately dropping the Aid Package and returning to base via a defined route. The Challenge will be held annually over the duration of an academic year, with the competition commencing in October 2019, and the flight demonstration being held in June 2020. A successful design that meets these requirements will be able to provide an economic and an efficient way of dealing with several human-aid situations and can be used to navigate remote areas, etc. It aims to introduce the peaceful community and the country at an international forum, reflecting the technical, creative and troubleshooting skills of students and the youth of Pakistan.

Project Objectives

The aim is to design and develop an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for humanitarian aid purposes. The UAV will be capable of target detection and delivering a payload to the drop zone via waypoints. Furthermore, it will have a modular structure which will facilitate its assembly, disassembly, storage and transportation.

Project Implementation Method

The first step was the literature review of all the different configurations used for such purposes and performing a trade-off to find the one best suited for the given project. After the selection of concept, weight estimation was done in order to ensure that the UAV does not exceed the gross weight i.e. 6.9 kg. Followed by the geometry sizing and propulsion system selection. Within the geometry sizing parameters regarding fuselage sizing, wing sizing and tail sizing were determined and during propulsion system selection type of motors to produce the required thrust based on the thrust to weight ratio were selected. Likewise, electronic speed controllers (ESC), propellers and battery were also selected. This was followed by the selection of flight controller and other subsystems. A 3D model was made using the results of geometry sizing and propulsion system selection followed by the aerodynamic analysis during which the coefficient of drag and lift was determined. At the end, optimization was carried out to find the best possible combination of parameters which will meet the design requirement with minimum weight. A construction plan will be made for fabrication and flight testing will be carried out.

Benefits of the Project

• Bridges the gap between academia and industry in developing applied UAS-related activities, providing the perfect opportunity to strengthen links with industry.
• Transportation of first aid in disaster effected areas
• Area search
• Enable students to learn practical Aerospace Engineering skills

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

An autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS), with a Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) of 6.9 kg, capable of performing a series of tasks such as ground marker identification, waypoint navigation, accurately dropping the Aid Package (1 kg)  and returning to base via a defined route.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Manufacturing

Other Industries

Others

Core Technology

Robotics

Other Technologies

Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

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