System Administrator, Software Engineer, BS in AAE
Borders Full Size UAV Prototype
Goal: Design and build a prototype of the proposed DHS Borders design.
Solution: An advanced UAV system was designed and constructed, utilizing carbon-fiber composites, an advanced infra-red camera gimbal, and autopilot.
We started the design around the fixed design elements of the request for proposals. This included the ducted power plant and the EO/IR camera gimbal. The twin boom design provided solid structure for the tail and mounting points for the duct.
A composite skin over a more conventional structure was determined to be the best option to meet all requirements. The interior wood structures were designed to support the carbon fiber skin.
The final product was assembled and had vinyl stripes applied to aid in visibility in the air, as well as for asthetics. A base station was also assembled, providing downlinks for the UAV telemetry, control, and video from both onboard cameras.
The final UAV has retractale landing gear, an EO/IR gimbal and full carbon fiber construction.
The base station contained controls for the EO/IR gimbal and the autopilot. The central screen had a video stream from the nose camera on the aircraft. The laptop displayed data from the autopilot.
The aircraft performed flawlessly in its test flights. All systems functioned nominally and video streams were clear from the base station.