ERAU Unmanned Systems by Raymond DeMarco

Unmanned Retrofitted Aircraft Then and Now             In August of 1944 the United States had begun Operation Aphrodite.  War worn B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators had been stripped of armor, armament and all non-essentials to free up to 12,000 pounds which would be used to pack the expired aircraft with a new British explosive called Torpex that was 50 percent more powerful than TNT.  The mission was to destroy high priority German targets that were hardened and heavily defended such as V-2, and V-3 weapon sites and German U-boat pens (Operation Aphrodite, 2012).  These missions were extremely dangerous.  A volunteer pilot and co-pilot were awarded 5 missions to fly the aircraft to 2000 feet, arm the 21,000 pounds of Torpex explosives and bail out of the aircraft at 160 mph (Operation Aphrodite Drones Set to Destroy German, 2017).  This mission is widely known for the death of Joseph Kenned...

The first mass produced aerial target UAVs referred to in this discussion is the Radioplane OQ-2.  Showcased to the army in 1935, Radioplane went on to produce 15,000 units to the Army Air Force and U.S. Navy.  This became an important training tool for anti-aircraft gunners leading up to world war II.  To appreciate the awesomeness of today’s unmanned aerospace systems (UAS) it is important to understand the origins.  One aspect imperative to the success of a UAS mission is command, control and communication (C3).  Radio control back in the day of electromechanical RC controlled boats and aircraft would transmit different frequencies (on/off signals) in response to operators’ movements on the control stick.  This method for control was simple but easily susceptible to interference and disruption Going fast-forward almost 100 years, still in the form of electromagnetic waves, most command guidance does not directly control an unmanned system.  ...

Precision Agriculture UAS Swarm Technology Raymond J. DeMarco III Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Abstract Unmanned system technology continues to grow in leaps and bounds.  The decreased cost of sensor packages for visual cameras, infrared vision, and other types of computer vision along with miniaturization have created greater capabilities for unmanned vehicles.  Unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime surface vehicles can intelligently work together by the command and control of human operators.  A high level of autonomy is required for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) to execute and collect various data for precision agriculture.  A swarm UAS can safely and efficiently capture data that is significant for farmer analysis of animal grazing and crop cultivation.  Swarm technology is needed to increase the total coverage, quickness, and efficiency of aerial collect data. For the same mission, a swarm of UAVs versus a single...

Introduction There is a need for a more efficient and safer environment in support of existing aeronautical operations that reduce the risk of collisions for manned and unmanned aircraft.  Operators of Small Unmanned Aerospace Systems (sUAS) under 55 pounds hold a responsibility to safe flight in the airspace in which they are permitted.  Payload weight on aircraft this small is significant and should be kept to a minimum for operating efficiency.  Weight requirement and cost effectiveness are key factors for Sense and Avoid (SAA) sensor selection.  A Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) are too large and heavy for sUAS.  SAA technology for UAS is part of a much bigger picture.  Each development brings UAS closer to their consent in the National Airspace System (NAS).  NASA conducts collaborative research “with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and commercial aerospace enti...

Ground Control Station Analysis             The Insitu Common Open Missions Management Command and Control (ICOMC2) is a control station that enables one operator to provide command and control of multiple Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and Unmanned Aerospace Systems (UASs).  Designed for expeditionary use this Ground Control Station (GCS) is intended to provide missions planning, vehicle control, and payload controls.  It consists of mobile hardware and features a customizable open-architecture design; plug-ins are acceptable to command and control different Unmanned UGVs and UASs.  It can function on a range of different Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems for operator control.  ICOMC2 can operate on a small, man-portable laptop Ground Control Station (GCS), or can be scaled up to a multi-screen C4ISR that integrates keyboard and manual controls to enhance control and precision (Insitu, 2017) It can al...

Review of Article:  Codeword-based Data Collection Protocol for Optical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks In the world of data transfer, optical data collection protocols for optical communication have a transfer rate of up to 2.5 Gbit/s.  Light of Sight (LOS) Free Space Optical (FSO) communication can support the high level of data connectivity required when multiple airborne Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are involved in a cooperative sensing scenario (Ramdhan, 2016).  This article proposes the protocol where collected data is ferried to a location where it can be analyzed, processed, stored, or forwarded to remote locations with cloud capabilities and viewing the collected data. This dissemination of data through FSO has unique features for large bandwidth, high data rate, license free requirement, low power and low mass requirement (Ramdhan, 2016).  This surpasses the traditional RF method of data transfer in speed, security, and freedom to use without fr...

Mining Exploration Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data Protocol In the vast Yukon area, a mineral exploration team uses a UAV such as the eBee by Sensefly to create elevation model orthomosiac high resolution imaging.   This geospatial high definition 3D imagery is shown to clients exploring areas of particular interest such as ridge tops or areas that may be untouched and contain precious metals (Sensefly, 2015).   They can reach these regions by helicopter, set up a mobile control station, and use a hand auger to take soil samples.   Soil samples offer miners a broad idea of the mineral content.   The UAV 3D mapping allows the client to explore particular areas with quickness and leave a minimal environmental footprint. The eBee is a small ultra- light EPP foam and carbon construction weighing 1.5 pounds with a rear facing propeller that is hand launched and navigated through predetermined waypoints.   It is designed to be user friendly and require no UAV...