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HAP Application Symposium , Oct. 25, 2006York HAP Week, UK

R. Miura, H. Tsuji, M. Suzuki, and D. GrayR. Miura, H. Tsuji, M. Suzuki, and D. GrayNational Institute of Information and Communications National Institute of Information and Communications

Technology (NICT)Technology (NICT)ee--mail: mail: ryu@nict.go.jpryu@nict.go.jp

HAP Program Update in JapanHAP Program Update in Japan--

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Wisdom of predecessors

In 1970s: Feasibility study on wireless link using multiple balloons conducted in NTT

NTT R&D Report, vol.24, no.7(1975)

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1. Latest Trials

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NASA’s Solar-Powered Unmanned Aircraft

Pathfinder Plus (NASA/AeroVironment Inc.)

Wingspan 36.3mWing width 3.4m

Number of Props 8 (1.5 kW each)Mission payload 50kg

Power for missions 600W

Altitude record: 24 km (1998)

Photo: PMRF

Telecom payload provided from JapanFor Japan-US joint trial (2002)

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Telecom Flight Test Using an Unmanned Airship “Low-Altitude Station Keeping Airship” in 2004

Unmanned airship with electric thruster systemLength: 67.8 m, Volume: 10660 m3, Weight: 6400 kgPayload: 400 kg incl. mission batteryMax. altitude: ~4000 m

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Telecom Experiment Using LAS Airship (2004@Hokkaido, Japan)

altitude~4 km

Optical tracking testRadiolocation test

Station keeping within 30 m

Flight pattern

Digital video broadcasting

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Analysis of TX Antenna Mounted on the Gondola

Simulated induced current on the handling bars

Deep null causes the serious degradation of signal

Transmitting antenna for digital broadcasting in UHF(One-turn helical antenna)

Gondola of LAS airship Antenna pattern (simulation)

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2. Coming Trials

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We need to reconsider the roadmap

Past:Telecom applications with a large market expected

Development of huge stratospheric airship

Business deployment by telecom and broadcasting operators

Now:Civil applications with a niche market

Proof-of-Concept demonstration

Airship + Aircraft, UAVLow to High altitudeUnmanned + Manned

Demo to enhance public acceptance by showing usefulness and reliability

Telecom applications with a huge market (Presumably…)

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Background: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Typhoon

Niigata Chuetsu

Hanshin

Tohkai,Tohnankai, Nankai(Soon?)

Kushiro Oki

Earthquake spots in JapanCollapse of elevated highway by Hanshin Earthquake (1995)

Typhoon/Hurricane

Destruction of everything by Sumatra Tsunami (2004)

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Advanced ICT infrastructure was so fragile

Case Study: Niigata-Chuetsu EarthquakeDamages on Networks

Breaking of cablesPower cut/Battery exhaustion on base stationsSatellite dishes out-of-pointingDestruction of roads and buildings

Mobile base stations and power supplies were not delivered.Most of the radio terminals and stations in the buildings were not available.

Cellular networks shut down for FOUR daysSeismic data delivery delayed for ONE weekAssessment of damage delayedEstablishment of rescue system delayed

> 260Mudflows/Earth slides

40/622Death/Severe injury

> 800Number of after shock

2,802/11,963Demolished/Partially destroyed houses

7Max. Intensity

M6.8/13 kmMagnitude/Depth

17:56 Oct. 23, 2004First shock

Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake

www.mlit.go.jp, www.jma.go.jp, www.pref.niigata.jp

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Smart Antennas Onboard Low-Altitude Airship for Post-Disaster Communications

Up to 50 Mbps/beam

28 GHz

Variable reflector

Zeppelin NT

31 GHz

630mm450mm

TX horn antenna with mechanically-controlled reflector

Altitude: 400m-1000mFlexible beam

- Available for emergency and post-disaster situations- Deployable to remote areas

DBF antenna with Multibeam and tracking capabilities

81 cells on the ground

Trial: Jan 2007 @ Kagoshima, Japan

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Smart Antennas Onboard Low-Altitude Airship for Post-Disaster Communications

Advantages of using airships:

- silent, suitable for disaster or sightseeing areas

- Long duration (~ one day)- Good at station keeping at a fixed position

- Little vibration- Large payload capacity

Real-time HDTV transmission

WLAN access points

IP phonePC/PDA

Application model example

Off-the-shelf terminals are available for users

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Radiolocation

Mobile terminalsor Illegal transmitters

Distress beacons

High altitude monitoringAbove the weather24-hoursHigh resolutionSilent

Animal beacons

Examples of target stationsIllegal radio stationsMobile phonesDistress signalsBeacons for criminal investigationTracking of humans or animals

Large-aperture aerial radio sensor

Missing persons

airships airplanes (UAV)

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Large-Aperture Array Sensor to get a high resolution from high altitude

~ technical issue ~“The position errors of sensor elements due to the flexible structure”

70~200m

30~70m

(a) Airships

(b) Airplanes

Sensor elements

Detection accuracy to be less than several meters

0.03 deg20km

0.14 deg4km

Required Angle

Resolution

Antenna Height

Ex. The distance of 10m on the ground is equivalent to:

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Large-Aperture Array Sensor to get a high resolution from high altitude

Reference PointStations

Target station

Distributed large-aperture array sensor Examples of target stations

Illegal radio stationsMobile phonesDistress signalsBeacons for criminal investigationTracking of humans or animals

Altitude: 300 m~20 km

Modified helix antenna

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Large-Aperture Array Sensor to get a high resolution from high altitude

Aerial Platform: Global Observer Prototype (AV Inc., USA)When: Mid Nov. 2006Where: Camp Roberts, California, USAFrequency: 1.5 GHzSensor array: 8-elements linear array with unequal spacingNumber of reference stations: 4-5

1/5 scale model of hydrogen-powered HALE (high altitude and long endurance) UAVElectric powerWing span: 50 feet (15 m)Flight altitude: 1,000-3,000 feetFlight speed: 14 m/sec

AV’s hydrogen-powered HALE UAV concept

-Altitude: 65,000 feet-Endurance: one ~ two weeks-Wing span: 50 m

Experiment schedule:

Near future

As the Trial 3 of

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Monitoring of disasters/criminals and emergency warning (tsunami, forest fires, mad slides, floods, pirates, poaching boats, theft, etc – collaboration with remote sensing technologies)

Toward the Use of UAVs and Airshipsfor Disaster Mitigations and Security Purposes

sensors

sensors

sensorssensorssensors

Intelligent UAVs

Manned/Unmanned airships

Emergency access links(aero-base station)

High-definition image monitoring & BB transmission

Telemetry from sensor networks

Location of missing persons

Medical image transmission

Safety management of vessels and thire BB link

(Traffic control, accident monitoring)

Safety support for elders and children

Support for safety drives

CoordinationAutonomous adhoc networkSatellites

Large-scale disaster areas

“Airship-UAV Fleet”