1. The Micro-CART project will develop a fully autonomous UAV for the 2007 International Aerial Robotics Competition. The industry-sponsored project is funded by a Lockheed-Martin grant. Results of the project may contribute to future industrial or government products. The project provides an opportunity for students to participate in a relatively large multi-disciplinary project and compete with design engineering teams from around the world. M ICRO -CART U N M A N N E D A E R I A L V E H I C L E Closing Summary O NGO - 03 http://seniord.ece.iastate.edu/ongo03 Estimated Cost for Spring 2007 (total expenses $2,308) Abstract The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) holds an International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) every July at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Collegiate teams from around the world enter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of autonomous flight into this competition where specific mission objectives must be met. The goal of the Microprocessor- Controlled Aerial Robotics Team (Micro-CART) is to submit a UAV for the entry level of IARC by developing a fully-autonomous helicopter. This will showcase the role of Iowa State in the field of unmanned aerial robotics and provide valuable design experience to Micro-CART team members. Continued support from Iowa State University and Lockheed Martin Sensor system will provide all necessary flight software inputs Current helicopter airframe limitations (lift, weight, speed, fuel) Power considerations for on-board hardware Robust autonomous flight system modifiable for various missions Documentation covering all aspects of research and accomplished tasks Design and build a primary aerial vehicle capable of autonomous flight Develop an integrated system of sensors to control the aerial vehicle Enter entry-level IARC, Summer 2007 Varied topography and a few man- made obstacles Fair weather conditions with possible light rain or wind Maneuver within a 430-acre area Micro-CART team members will use the vehicle to compete in the IARC Future use for researchers, industry representatives, or hobbyists Problem StatementOperating EnvironmentIntended Users and UsesAssumptionsLimitationsExpected End Product Client Funding Provided By Design Objectives Develop an aerial vehicle to compete in entry-level IARC Functional Requirements Hover via autonomous flight control Self navigation to global positioning system (GPS) waypoints Communication between ground station and helicopter Design Constraints Size and weight considerations Cost minimization Low power consumption Protect electronics from environment Measurable Milestones Sensor implementation and testing Autonomous flight-control software testing Communications and ground station development Test flights: hover, forward movement, hold position Proposed Approach Vehicle – X-cell #1005-1 gas helicopter Computation – On-board controller (PC/104) to provide sensor interfaces and processing resources for flight control software Navigation – GPS and magnetic compass Communication – RF Modem Dynamics – Inertial measurement unit (IMU) Object Detection – Sonar transducer Technologies Considered Software controlled basic stability Self-navigation to GPS waypoints Testing Considerations Individual hardware unit testing (GPS, IMU, Compass, Sonar) Integrated hardware unit test with flight-control Hover, forward movement, and hold position flight tests M i c r o p r o c e s s o r – C o n t r o l l e d A e r I a l R o b o t I c s T e a m IntroductionApproach and ConsiderationsEstimated ResourcesProject ScheduleClosing SummaryProject Requirements Power and Payload Subteam Pankaj Makhija Jim Christgau Bill Hughes Hassan Javed Ground Station Subteam Guillermo Hernandez CprE Ricardo Fonseca CprE Advisors Dr. Gregory C. Smith EE/CprE Dr. John Lamont EE/CprE Prof. Ralph Patterson, III EE/CprE Scott Morgan (Lockheed Martin) Team Leaders Kito Berg-Taylor AeroE Bryan Baumhover CprE Controls Subteam Kito Berg-Taylor Bryan Baumhover Todd Kreykes Priyanka Singh Sensors Subteam Alyson Young Bai Shen Matt Lichti Bret Staehling Estimated Personnel Hours/Category (1978 Total Hours) Primary Vehicle EE Leader EE EE Communications Coordinator AeroE Leader CprE EE Entry level functionality CprE Leader CprE EE