RI: Medium: Collaborative Research: Towards Perpetual Flight of a Gliding Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the Jet Stream

开发必要的科学和技术来演示无人机的持续动态翱翔。这有四个主要组成部分。 首先，该团队针对动态飙升运动规划问题开发了新颖的实时解决方案，以实现永久飞行。 其次，他们开发了用于真实的时间估计风场的紧凑表示。 这些测量值用作运动规划器的输入，以优化从给定的飙升周期中回收的能量。 第三，他们开发了一种新的机身，其设计与运动规划算法的开发紧密结合。 最后，进行了重要的技术评估，最终演示了持续的低空动态翱翔。实现能够保持高空飞行的无人机对许多领域都具有变革性，例如，作为常规卫星系统的低高度和低成本替代方案。 这种伪卫星充当传感器网络，提供监视数据、天气监测，并充当电信网络中的中继节点。 它们被放置、回收和维护，而没有与太空发射相关的重大费用和故障风险。 动态滑翔无人驾驶飞行器是飓风观测的理想选择，因为飞行器的设计具有所需的强度，并且相关的风梯度为风暴的寿命提供了足够的飞机续航力。 一个主要的推广工作是为20-30名八年级和九年级学生举办的机器人和航空航天夏令营;这是一年四季的学院的一部分，旨在促进经济和学业上有困难的初中和高中学生的学业成就和大学安置。

The necessary science and technology are developed to demonstrate sustained dynamic soaring of an unmanned aerial vehicle. This has four primary components. First, the team develops novel, real-time solutions specific to the dynamic soaring motion planning problem to enable perpetual flight. Second, they develop compact representations for estimating wind field in real time. These measurements serve as input to the motion planner to optimize energy that is recovered from a given soaring cycle. Third, they develop a novel airframe whose design is tightly coupled with motion planning algorithm development. Finally, a significant technical evaluation is performed which culminates in a demonstration of sustained low-altitude dynamic soaring.The realization of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of staying aloft is transformative for many fields, e.g., as a low altitude and cost alternative to conventional satellite systems. Such pseudo-satellites serve as a sensor network and provide surveillance data, weather monitoring, and act as relay nodes in telecommunications networks. They are put into place, recovered, and maintained without the significant expense and failure risk associated with a space launch. A dynamically soaring unmanned aerial vehicle is ideal for hurricane observation since the craft is designed with the required strength and the associated wind gradients provide sufficient aircraft endurance for the life of the storm. One major outreach effort is the Robotics and Aerospace Camp for a group of 20-30 eighth and ninth grade students; this is part of a year round academy to promote academic achievement and college placement for economically and academically challenged middle level and high school students.