Low-cost Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle (UAV) technology for civilian applications

南安普敦国家海洋学中心的研究人员开发了一种新型的低成本无人机系统并进行了试飞。拟议中的活动将调查该系统是否具有商业潜力，并将评估下一步必要的步骤，以最大限度地提高这项发明对英国竞争力的贡献。这将包括评估低成本无人机技术的市场；澄清民用无人机操作的监管限制；审查专利和保护想法的机会；评估可能的合作伙伴并开始与他们接触。该系统包括一个射程至少1000公里的飞行器，可以携带2公斤的传感器，一个发射器，可以在没有跑道的情况下起飞(例如从科考船上)，一个命令和控制站，一个自动驾驶仪(使飞机在计算机控制下自动飞行)，以及用于管理传感器的电子设备。无人机可以被编程为使用GPS(卫星)定位飞行到一系列位置。虽然商用无人机系统存在，但它们要么昂贵(最合适的系统成本约为30万美元)，要么无法从远程位置(例如从科考船)操作。这种无人机系统的独特卖点是其低成本的高性能。所有飞行系统都内置了低成本，导致这种交通工具至少比目前的商业系统便宜十倍。无人机的设计是为了在水上着陆，或者在坚硬的表面上打滑。考虑到这一点，机身非常坚固，在海上坠毁着陆后仍能幸存下来。这意味着它将漂浮并保护有价值的航空电子设备、传感器和电子系统。如果着陆是硬的(软着陆是可能的)，机翼和尾翼将会断裂，但它们的设计是廉价和可更换的。总而言之，这些设计决定意味着，该系统在恶劣条件下运行的成本要低得多。无人机的射程超过1000公里，传感器有效载荷很大，在必要着陆之前还可以覆盖大量的地面/冰层/海洋，因此可以返回大量数据。低成本无人机技术的民用应用可包括(除其他许多外)：支持或加强研究船的海洋学研究、搜索救援任务、森林火灾/洪水/灾害评估、管道评估和警务任务。澄清目前和未来对这类特派团的管制措施对于确定市场规模至关重要，这是拟议研究的组成部分。

Researchers at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton have developed and test flown a novel low-cost Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle system. The proposed activity will investigate if this system has commercial potential and will evaluate the next steps necessary to maximise the contribution this invention can make to UK competitiveness. This will include an evaluation of the market for the low-cost UAV technology; clarification of the regulatory restrictions of UAV operations for civilian applications; a review of patents and opportunities for protection of the idea; and evaluating possible partners and initiating contacts with them. The system includes a vehicle with at least 1000km range that can carry 2kg of sensors, a launcher that enables take off without a runway (e.g. from a research ship), a command and control station, an autopilot (so that the aircraft flies itself under computer control), and electronics for managing sensors. The UAV can be programmed to fly to a series of positions using GPS (satellite) positioning. Whilst commercial UAV systems exist, they are either expensive (the most suitable system costs ~$300k), or could not operate from remote locations (e.g. from a research ship). The unique selling point of this UAV system is its high performance at low cost. Low cost has been built into all flight systems resulting in a vehicle that is at least ten times cheaper than the current commercial systems. The UAV is designed to land on water, or to skid land on a hard surface. With this in mind the fuselage is extremely rugged, and will survive a crash landing at sea. This means that it will float and protect the valuable avionics, sensors, and electronic systems. If the landing is hard (a soft landing is possible) the wings and tail will break, but these are designed to be cheap and replaceable. Together these design decisions mean that the system is much cheaper to operate in hostile conditions. With over 1000km of range, and a large sensor payload the UAV can also cover a lot of ground / ice / ocean before a landing is necessary and can therefore return a lot of data. Civilian applications for low-cost UAV technology could include (amongst numerous others): oceanographic study in support of, or augmenting, a research vessel, search for rescue missions, forest fire/flood/disaster assessment, pipeline assessment and policing duties. Clarification of the current and future regulatory controls for such missions is critical in defining the market size and this is integral to the proposed study.