rwdc state aviation challenge: detailed background

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RWDC State Aviation Challenge:

Detailed Background

Contents Overview: What is a small Unmanned Aircraft System? .......................................................................... 2

FAA Technical Readiness Criteria for sUAS ............................................................................................... 4

FAA Rules for Public sUAS Operating in the National Airspace System .................................................... 7

sUAS Operational Personnel Guidelines ................................................................................................... 8

Sensor Payload Selection Guidelines ...................................................................................................... 12

Mission Flight Planning Guidelines ......................................................................................................... 20

Propulsion System Selection Guidelines ................................................................................................. 29

Business Case Guidelines ........................................................................................................................ 30

Sensor Payload Catalog ........................................................................................................................... 32

Propulsion System Catalog ..................................................................................................................... 42

Ground Station Description and Catalog ................................................................................................ 47

Additional UAV/UAS Equipment Catalog ................................................................................................ 50

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Overview: What is a small Unmanned Aircraft System? The sUAS you will develop in this challenge is comprised of three major components: the platform or

vehicle (called the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV), the sensor payload which the UAV carries, and the

Ground Station. A high-level description of each, tailored to this challenge, follows. Many of these items

are described in more detail in later sections. Each team will choose different quantities, sizes, types,

and configurations of the various components to create a unique sUAS. One possible configuration is

shown in the figure below.

Figure 1. Basic sUAS configuration with UAV and ground control station.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle This is the portion of the UAS that most people think of when they hear “UAS.” This is the flying portion

of the system which carries the payload. There can be more than one UAV in a UAS, and in this

challenge. It includes:

Airframe –The physical structure of the vehicle. You will design most of this portion. Fuselage CAD

model includes weights and prices for internal structure, skin material, servos, control surfaces, etc.

Location of major components, wing shape and tail shape will be designed by your team.

Propulsion – the engine and propeller. You will select a system either from the provided catalog, or

from another source.

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Flight Control System (FCS) – the system which actually controls the aircraft and communicates with

the pilot in the ground station. You will use the system in the provided catalog as appropriate.

Command Datalink Transceiver – the device which sends and receives the communication signals

between the FCS and the pilot in the Ground Station. You will use the system in the provided catalog

as appropriate.

Video Datalink Transmitter – the device which transmits the video captured by the payload to the

Ground Station. You will use the system in the provided catalog as appropriate.

Video Recorder – the device which records the video should you choose to store it on-board for

later review rather than transmitting the data. You will use the system in the provided catalog as

appropriate.

Fuel tank, batteries, and everything else that is flying, except the payload. You will design or identify

most of this portion as detailed elsewhere in this document, and in the “work flow.”

Sensor Payload Electro-optical, gyro-stabilized camera – The camera or cameras which you will select from the

provided catalog, including the hardware required to aim and control the camera. You will select

one or more systems from the provided catalog.

Ground Station The figure above is provided as guidance of one possible configuration of the ground control station.

Your configuration will depend on the UAV design choices made by your team. The required ground

control station equipment is summarized in the following list.

Ground Command Datalink Transceiver – The ground portion of the Command Datalink Transceiver

which has the airborne component described above. This system will be provided to you.

Ground Video Datalink Transceiver – The ground portion of the Video Datalink Transciever which

has the airborne component described above. This system will be made available to you.

Pilot Workstation – The computer which serves as the primary interface between the pilot and the

aircraft. You will select one or more systems from the provided catalog.

Sensor Payload Workstation – The computer which serves as the primary interface between the

payload operator and the sensor payload. You will select one or more systems from the provided

catalog.

Shelter – A trailer-able work area for the crew, computers, and other support gear. You will select a

system from the provided catalog.

Operating Personnel – The humans required to operate the sUAS including the pilot, payload

operator, and others. You will identify your crew needs based on your sUAS design according to the

provided guidelines.

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FAA Technical Readiness Criteria for sUAS The “airworthiness” requirements that your sUAS will have to meet are presented below. These are

scaled for the challenge, but based on the anticipated FAA criteria. Some criteria will be automatically

satisfied if the teams choose items or systems from the RWDC catalog. For some criteria, teams will

have to demonstrate that their proposal satisfies the criteria. These indications are made in the text

below.

Aircraft: 1. The airframe must withstand anticipated aerodynamic flight loads throughout the complete

range of maneuvers anticipated within the approved flight envelope with an appropriate margin

of safety (+6/-4g’s ultimate load).

This requirement should be verified by analysis.

2. The propulsion system must provide reliable and sufficient power to takeoff, climb, and

maintain flight at all expected mission altitudes and environmental conditions.


3. The electrical system must generate, distribute, and manage power distribution to meet the

power requirements of all receiving systems.


4. The UA must safely and expeditiously respond to pilot commands necessary to avoid conflict or

collision with other aircraft or ground obstructions.

Items available from the RWDC catalog will satisfy this criterion.

5. Aircraft with an autopilot must ensure the autopilot keeps the aircraft within the flight envelope

and any other appropriate flight limits for autopilot enabled operations under any foreseeable

operating condition.


6. Software used to control critical aircraft functions must be developed with the appropriate

software safety guidelines.


Control Data Link: The control data link which is supplied to teams by RWDC will satisfy these criteria. The criteria are

included for reference.

1. The control data link must provide sufficient link performance margin at the maximum allowed

UA range specified in the system operating manual under worst case meteorological and RF

interference environmental conditions and aircraft configuration.

2. The control data link must provide sufficient link performance margin at 1.5 times the maximum

allowed UA range specified in the system operating manual under normal meteorological and RF

interference environmental conditions and aircraft configuration.

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3. The radio frequencies used for UAS control must be appropriate for the operation of UAS and

approved by the appropriate government agency.

4. The control data link and aircraft system must continue to operate safely or perform the

appropriate predictable contingency procedure in the presence of intentional or unintentional

RF interference.

Control Station / Pilot interface: The control station/pilot interface which is supplied to teams by RWDC will satisfy these criteria. The

criteria are included for reference.

1. The control station layout and organization must allow the pilot to safety perform the functions

necessary for safe flight.

2. Information necessary for safe flight must be clearly displayed to the pilot and must be easy to

identify & interpret. Examples include fuel remaining (flight time remaining), battery power

remaining, engine performance, control link status, airspeed, altitude, aircraft position, etc.

3. Aircraft control and input devices must allow the pilot to safely operate the aircraft without

unusual pilot skill or concentration, be intuitive and logically implemented, and have the

necessary labels for proper identification of function.

4. Aircraft control and input devices must be designed to minimize human error.

5. Critical control inputs that could cause an undesirable outcome if inadvertently activated, such

as an accidental “stop engine” input, must be safeguarded from inadvertent activation

6. The system must provide the necessary cautions, warnings, and advisories to the pilot to allow

the pilot to troubleshoot and properly respond to abnormal and emergency situations.

7. The control station must have a primary power source suitable for rugged field operations (e.g.

a ruggedized and portable diesel generator).

8. The control station must have a backup power source in the event of a loss of primary power.

9. If applicable, the control station must allow a transfer of aircraft control to another airworthy

control station without causing an unsafe condition.

Contingency Response: The “contingency response” refers to your plans for reacting to emergencies such as engine failure.

1. The UAS must provide, or must allow the pilot to perform, a safe and appropriate response to

the unanticipated loss of the primary propulsion system.


2. The UA must provide sufficient back-up power for safety critical systems in case of a loss of the

primary power source sufficient to safely recover the aircraft.


3. The UAS must perform a predictable and safe flight maneuver in response to a loss of control

link (lost-link) during any phase of flight.


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4. The UAS must have a means to perform an emergency flight recovery, when appropriate, with

both an active control link and during lost-link.


5. The UAS must be capable of continued safe flight and landing with an inoperative primary

navigation sensor.


6. The UAS must be capable of continued safe flight and landing with the loss or malfunction of a

single propulsion source in a multiple propulsion source configuration.

This requirements should be verified by analysis.

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FAA Rules for Public sUAS Operating in the National Airspace

System The challenge location is outside 10 NM from any airport, and your aircraft must also satisfy the relevant

criteria.

Operation in Class G airspace for a UAS weighing 55 pounds or less with a maximum speed of 80

mph (70 knots).

The proponent will publish a NOTAM (NOTice to AirMen) to alert non-participating aircraft of the

operation.

Operations will be conducted within visual line of sight of the pilot/operator utilizing VFR weather

requirements.

Each control workstation may only control a single UAV at a time during normal flight operations.

Night operations are not permitted.

Operations will be conducted over military bases, reservations or land protected by purchase,

lease, or with express permission of the landowner.

Operations will not be conducted over wildlife preserves, national parks or other traditionally

protected airspace unless express permission is granted by the controlling authority.

Operations underlying Class B or C airspace (Mode C veil) above 400 ft AGL/14,500 ft MSL are not

permitted.

The UAS will remain outside of five (5) NM from any civil airport or heliport (Figure 1).

Operations between five (5) and ten (10) NM from a civil airport or heliport will remain below 700

ft AGL/14,500 ft MSL. EXCEPTION: UAS weighing 20 lbs or less may operate up to 1200 ft

AGL/14,500 ft MSL when not beneath a depicted transition area (Figure 1).

Operations greater than ten (10) NM from a civil airport or heliport will remain below 1,200 ft

AGL/14,500 ft MSL (see Figure below).

Figure 2. Operational Airspace Restrictions for sUAS.

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sUAS Operational Personnel Guidelines An sUAS performing a Search and Rescue (SAR) function require that a variety of roles be fulfilled by

personnel on the ground in order to ensure safe and successful mission execution. Different aircraft and

mission types will require different roles and therefore different numbers of ground support personnel.

For the purposes of this competition a basic minimum ground personnel configuration can be assumed.

Deviations are permitted but must be justified. The typical roles are outlined as follows:

NOTE 1: Full-time Equivalent (FTE) is used to indicate one person assigned full-time to the designated

role. For this competition, fractional FTEs will not be allowed.

NOTE 2: For operational cost calculation purposes, fractions of an hour should be rounded up to the

next highest integer.

NOTE 3: “Fully loaded” cost includes expenses for transportation & lodging of specialized personnel,

salary, fringe benefits, labor overhead, and supplies.

1) Payload Operator. [$150/hr. fully loaded cost per 1.0 FTE] This person is required when

payload data is telemetered from the aircraft during mission execution. This person will

typically sit at a ground station interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) for the purpose

of controlling the payload operations in real-time. For a sensor payload, this will involve

monitoring the sensor payload status and data telemetry from the aircraft, steering the payload

(i.e. directing where the camera is pointing), and directing the aircraft operator on where to fly

the aircraft. In a search situation in which real-time search algorithms are available, this

individual would also monitor the search status cues to identify targets of interest that may

require follow-up either by the aircraft or by ground search personnel. The exact nature of this

role will be driven by the sensor payload selection.

2) Data Analyst. [$150/hr. fully loaded cost per 1.0 FTE] This person is required when data from

the search aircraft cannot be processed in real-time. This role can be a requirement for

telemetered data where real-time search algorithms are not available at the ground station.

This role is also a requirement when sensor data is recorded on board the aircraft for download

and analysis upon aircraft recovery (i.e. no data telemetry). The data analyst is responsible for

downloading the data from the aircraft, ensuring proper chain-of-custody, for uploading the

data to the software program for analysis, and then for communicating the results to the other

ground personnel as necessary. This role may or may not be required, depending on the sensor

payload selection.

3) Ground Search Personnel. These individuals are required to follow up on inconclusive ground

target indicators. Confirmation that the person is found, and communication is performed by

either the Payload Operator or the Data Analyst. The number of concurrent targets that can be

followed up on will be limited by the number of assigned ground search personnel. The rate of

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targets that can be followed up on will be determined by the mobility of the ground search

personnel over the terrain. Lower mobility and lower cost is assumed for ground personnel on

foot. Higher mobility and higher cost is assumed for ground search personnel with mobility aids

(e.g. horses or ATVs). For the purposes of this challenge, any necessary ground search

personnel will be provided by the “customer” (e.g. the ranch at Philmont), and will not need to

be considered by teams as a factor in the operational cost.

4) Range Safety/Aircraft Launch & Recovery/Maintenance. [$175/hr. fully loaded cost per 1.0 FTE]

This individual can be assigned multiple non-concurrent roles, and is typically a highly qualified

technician. Range safety includes ensuring frequency deconfliction prior to and during mission

execution as well as airspace deconfliction. This individual will be trained in the use and

operation of a spectrum analyzer to ensure that the communications and aircraft operations

frequencies are not conflicting with other potential operations in the area. This individual will

also monitor air traffic channels to ensure that the airspace remains free during the mission.

This individual will be responsible for coordinating with the air traffic management personnel in

advance of the operation to ensure that the appropriate airspace restrictions are communicated

to piloted aircraft operating in the area. This individual may also be responsible for aircraft

launch and recovery operations as well as any required maintenance (e.g. refueling or repairs) in

between flights.

5) Launch & Recovery Assistants. [$50/hr. fully loaded cost per 1.0 FTE] In the case of some larger

UAV aircraft operating in unimproved areas, one or two assistants may be required to help

position the aircraft onto the launch system (e.g. catapult) and to recover the aircraft from the

capture mechanism (e.g. snag line). This role can be filled by position 4 for the RWDC State

Aviation Challenge.

6) Safety Pilot. [$100/hr. fully loaded cost per assigned FTE]. This individual is responsible for

bringing the aircraft safely in for recovery. For this competition we will assume line-of-sight

(LOS) operation at all times, meaning that the safety pilot will need to be able to observe the

aircraft at all times during flight. During semi-autonomous flight operations, the safety pilot is

responsible for immediately taking over command of the aircraft and brining it safely to the

ground should it exhibit unanticipated flight behaviors, or in the case of piloted aircraft entering

the flight operations area as communicated by the range safety officer. The RWDC autopilot and

flight control system has semi-autonomous operation capability.

7) Operational Pilot [$150/hr. fully loaded cost per 1.0 FTE]. In the case of autonomous or semi-

autonomous operations, the operational pilot is responsible for monitoring aircraft attitude,

altitude, and waypoint tracking, and adjusting the aircraft flight path as required for the success

of the SAR mission. The operational pilot will typically spend most of the operation looking at a

screen at the ground control station monitoring the telemetry from the aircraft’s on-board flight

control computer, and adjusting the aircraft’s programming as necessary.

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Example Operational Cost Calculations for Ground Support Personnel Scenario 1: Three small coordinated aircraft systems using staggered search-and-land cycles, each with a simple

sensor pointed down, video transmitters, no real-time target ID software at the ground station. Aircraft

flight endurance for the small battery-powered UAVs is equal to 5 hours total flight time. Ground-Team

consisting of:

3 X Payload Operators (150/hr. per analyst, 450/hr. total)

3 X Safety Pilots (100/hr. per pilot, 300/hr. total)

3 X Operational Pilots (150/hr. per pilot, 450/hr. total)

1 X Range Safety/L&R/Maintenance Officer (175/hr. per officer, 175/hr. total)

Travel time to location: 4.5 hours driving from your company’s corporate HQ in Colorado Springs, CO

(assume 4.5 hours is a representative driving time for all 50 missions for cost calculations).

Set-up time: 2 hours

Flight time to rescue: 9.2 hours.

TOTAL OPERATION TIME: 15.7 hours (rounded up to 16).

Per-System Operational Cost per Hour: $1375

TOTAL Operational Cost per Mission: $22,000

NOTE: Scenario 1 assumes that the three coordinated aircraft can cover the ground more quickly than

one, but that the lower endurance associated with the smaller, less-expensive aircraft platforms

necessitates at least one landing to accommodate battery replacement. The inclusion of video

transmitters allows the Payload Operators to watch the feeds in real-time. While the lack of real-time

target ID software at the ground station means the system was less expensive to procure, it also means

that 1 payload operator is required for each sensor, and so operational costs may be higher.

Scenario 2: Single aircraft system flying at high altitude, five sensor payloads (forward, back, left, right, down), five

video transmitters, and real-time target ID software at the ground station. Aircraft flight endurance for

the larger gasoline-powered UAV is equal to 15 hours total flight time. Ground-Team consisting of:

2 X Payload Operators (150/hr. per analyst, 300/hr. total)

1 X Safety Pilots (100/hr. per pilot, 100/hr. total)

1 X Operational Pilots (150/hr. per pilot, 150/hr. total)

1 X Range Safety/L&R/Maintenance Officer (175/hr. per officer, 175/hr. total)

Travel time to location: 4.5 hours driving from corporate HQ in Colorado Springs, CO.

Set-up time: 2 hours

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Flight time to rescue: 12.4 hours.

TOTAL OPERATION TIME: 18.9 hours (rounded up to 19).

Per-System Operational Cost per Hour: $725

TOTAL Operational Cost per Mission: $13,775

NOTE: Scenario 2 assumes that the single larger and more expensive aircraft can cover the entire search

grid more slowly than three aircraft, but that the higher endurance associated with the larger, more

expensive aircraft platform means that the aircraft does not have to land prior to completing the

mission. In addition, the multiple sensors allow confirmations to be performed without altitude or flight

path changes. The added purchase of the real-time target ID software for the ground station allows a

single payload operator to manage up to four sensor payloads at a time. However, for this operational

scenario, one primary payload operator is assigned the forward and downward looking sensors, while

the confirmation payload operator is assigned the left, right, and rear looking sensors.

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Sensor Payload Selection Guidelines This section describes the key considerations for your sensor payload selection process.

Design the UAV around the Sensor Payload For this daytime Search and Rescue (SAR) mission, the appropriate sensor payload is a gyroscopically-

stabilized, electro-optical camera to be mounted onto a UAV. These types of cameras can be aimed by

either the autopilot computer or by a remote operator working at the ground control station. They

output color video that needs to be transmitted from the UAV to the ground control station by means of

a video datalink. For the purposes of this competition, the video datalink is considered a separate

hardware item, with its own size, weight and power consumption. One video datalink will be required

for each sensor payload included on-board the aircraft.

Each sensor payload included in the supplied sensor payload catalog is capable of fulfilling the mission.

However, it should be noted that certain sensor payloads favor certain ranges of flight altitudes and

flight speeds which will influence the design of each UAV in the system. Designing the UAV around the

selected sensor payload(s) will maximize the search area that can be covered over time. Multiple sensor

payloads are allowed to be installed on an individual UAV and multiple UAVs can be included in the UAV

system. Teams should keep in mind that sensor payloads are both power-hungry and expensive.

What does the Sensor Payload see? The video camera inside the sensor payload views all objects as clusters of pixels on a TV screen or a

computer monitor. Objects can drastically change appearance depending on how far away they are

from the camera when being viewed. For example, the table below shows how the same symbol would

appear at different resolutions as the symbol becomes farther and farther away from the camera.

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Table 1. Example symbols viewed at detection and confirmation resolutions.

(a) Representative symbol for the injured child

that must be rescued.

(b) That same symbol viewed at 20 pixels wide,

the minimum “confirmation resolution”.

(c) The injured child viewed at 8 pixels wide, the

minimum “human detection resolution”.

(d) The injured child viewed at 4 pixels wide, the

minimum “software detection resolution”.

Effects of the Mission Flight Plan Several factors influence how clearly the injured child will appear on the sensor payload video; these

include flight altitude, the natural field of view of the sensor payload, how far the camera of the sensor

payload is zoomed in, and the pointing angles of the camera. Your team will need to prepare a mission

flight plan (see the related section of this document) for the search and rescue mission to fly each UAV

in such a manner that the area can be scanned to detect objects that might be the child and to perform

the necessary changes to the UAV and sensor payload to confirm whether or not the detected object is

the missing child.

In the business plan section of this competition, your team will decide whether it is more desirable to

utilize special video scanning software or a dedicated human operator to review the video output of the

sensor payload(s) according to the requirements in the table below.

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Table 2. Requirements for Selected Detection Method.

Human Operator Video Scanning Software

Minimum detection resolution 8 pixels wide 4 pixels wide

Minimum time subject must

remain in video frame for

detection

2.0 second 0.5 seconds

Human attention required for

detection

1 human operator per sensor

payload during the full flight

time

1 human operator per 4 sensor

payloads during the full flight

time.

Minimum confirmation

resolution

20 pixels wide 20 pixels wide (by human

operator)

Minimum time subject must

remain in video frame for

confirmation

5.0 seconds 5.0 seconds

Human attention required for

confirmation

1 human operator when an

object has been detected as

possibly being the injured child

1 human operator when an

object has been detected as

possibly being the injured child

Required computer resources 1 “Sensor payload Workstation

Computer - Version A” per

sensor payload

1 “Sensor payload Workstation

Computer - Version B” per set of

4 sensor payloads.

Explaining angular diameter The “size” of the person as viewed by a camera is known as the angular diameter (δ) of that person,

which is an angle measured in degrees. For example, the moon is very large, but it is also very far away;

as a result its angular diameter is only about half a degree wide. The camera lens of the sensor payload

divides the field of view of the camera into an array of horizontal and vertical pixels.

For the cameras used in the sensor payload catalogue for this completion, the width of each pixel

represents a constant angular diameter. This angular diameter may be determined by dividing the field

of view of the camera when zoomed by the resolution of the camera according to the following formula:

For example, a camera with a constant 640 pixel horizontal resolution ( ) zoomed in to narrow its

horizontal field of view ( ) to 64° will give each pixel a 0.1° angular diameter.

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Determining whether the subject can be detected For the injured child to be detected or confirmed, the injured child must have a large enough angular

diameter to fill the required number of pixels for detection or confirmation.

This relationship is shown in the diagram below according to the following formula:

(

)

Figure 3. How a subject is displayed as pixels.

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The angular diameter of the injured child ( ) is a function of the width of the person (wp) and the

distance between the camera and the person (D) according to the following equation:

(

)

For all computations regarding the Angular Diameter, make the approximation that regardless of the

camera’s orientation to the person, the viewable person width is always 4 feet.

Figure 4. Calculating the angular diameter of the injured child.

The farthest a camera can be from the person and still detect them is determined by solving for distance

(D=Dmax) when the angular diameter is set to the required angular diameter for detection or

confirmation (δ = δreq).

( )

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Figure 5. Calculating the maximum detectable distance of the injured child from the camera.

If D > Dmax, then the person is too far away and would be “too small” to view on the video screen. In

these instances the person seems to be invisible even if the camera is staring right at them.

Determining acceptable flight altitudes, pan limits, and tilt limits As established above, only objects closer than Dmax can be seen by the sensor payload. At a given

altitude (h, measured in feet AGL, above ground level) greater than Dmax, a cone can be drawn to

represent the maximal viewable area. The four edges of the video screen correspond with the four

edges of a quadrilateral on the surface, called the “camera footprint”. For the entire area within the

camera footprint to be within the maximum detectable distance Dmax, the corners of the camera

footprint must not lie outside the boundaries of the cone’s radius. The cone is diagrammed below and

the radius is calculated according to the following relation:

√

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Figure 6. This cone represents the ground area that is close enough to meet the detection/confirmation criteria based on flight altitude.

The center of the sensor payload camera points at angles roll and pitch. Note that these

angles are with respect to the downward gravity vector and are not affected by the roll and pitch of the

UAV when operating within the maximum pitch and roll angles of the sensor payload relative to the

mounting point on the UAV.

The four corners of the camera footprint are pointed at the following angles:

{

{

{

{

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The x (forward) and y (towards the right wing) locations of the each corner of the camera footprint are

located at ground level are given by the following equations:

{ ( )

( )

To ensure that the farthest corners of the camera footprint do not lie outside the boundaries of the

cone’s radius, the following inequality must be true for all four corners.

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Mission Flight Planning Guidelines Your team must create a Mission Flight Plan that documents how the UAV will be flown and how the

Sensor payload will be operated in order to complete the mission:

Takeoff and Initial Climb

Object Detection during Straight and Level Flight

Object Detection during a Coordinated Turn

Flight Path for Full Coverage of the Search Area Flight

Transitioning to Object Confirmation after Object Detection

Approach, Landing, and Refueling/Maintenance, as Required

Total Mission Time Calculation

NOTE: A hypothetical search scenario can include mission phases being repeated, and performed in non-

sequential order.

For all portions of the Mission Flight Plan, pay particular attention to the UAV forward speed. If the UAV

is travelling too quickly, then the camera footprint will pass over objects on the ground too quickly and

the sensor payload will not be able to view the injured child for the required detection time or

confirmation time.

Takeoff and Initial Climb During takeoff and the initial climb, the size of the camera footprint changes based on altitude. Until the

UAV has reached a sufficient altitude, the ground covered by the camera footprint will not be usable for

object detection, because the time an object would remain within the length of the camera footprint in

the forward direction (x) for a UAV travelling at the UAV’s speed would be less than the required

detection time. A higher altitude would be required for contributions to the total coverage area. This

relationship is depicted in the following figure:

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Figure 7. During takeoff and initial climb, the camera footprint might be too small to contribute to the total coverage area.

Object Detection during Straight and Level Flight One of the basic flight maneuvers for a Search and Rescue operation is straight and level flight. During

straight and level flight, the UAV travels in a straight line at a constant speed and altitude while the

sensor payload searches for the missing person below, covering long stretches of terrain. Your team

must determine how it wants to operate the sensor payload (pan, tilt, zoom) while the UAV is in straight

and level flight. Two methods are outlined below.

Method 1: (Basic) Keep the sensor payload pointed downward.

If the sensor payload is pointed straight downward during straight and level flight (zero roll, zero pitch),

then the camera footprint becomes a rectangle with a forward length and a sideways width determined

by calculating the positions of the corners of the camera footprint. This method creates a long rectangle

of coverage area whose width is the same as the sideways width of a single camera footprint and whose

length is stretched to become whatever distance the UAV continues to travel in straight and level flight.

This is shown in the figure below.

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Figure 8. The overlapping camera footprints must sufficiently overlap for object detection or object confirmation during straight and level flight.

For this method, your team will pick a flight altitude, flight speed, and the zoomed camera field of view

to be used in straight and level flight. Show that the UAV flight speed is slow enough for object

detection (or for object confirmation). This can be demonstrated by calculating that the distance

travelled by the UAV during the detection time (flight speed times detection time) is not greater than

the forward camera footprint length.

Method 2: (Advanced) Sweep the sensor payload back and forth.

A more advanced method for object detection during straight and level flight is to sweep the sensor

payload left and right to increase the width of the coverage area beyond the width of a single camera

footprint. This method requires additional analysis to confirm that the full area traced during each

sweep cycle is covered for the full duration of the detection time requirement. Teams using this option

must consider the following:

When the sensor payload is not pointed straight down, it is no longer rectangular. If camera

pitch is zero, but the camera is rolled to the left or the right, then the camera footprint is

trapezoidal. If both the pitch and roll values are non-zero, the camera footprint becomes a

general quadrilateral.

The angular rate at which the sensor payload is swept back and forth cannot exceed the limits of

the sensor payload as specified in the payload catalog.

The coverage area for the sweeping motion must be shown for a full cycle.

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At the maximum roll value used, the far corners of the camera footprint must be shown to be

within the viewable cone.

The sensor payload must briefly pause at the maximum pan left and pan right positions so that

the edges of these regions are covered for the required detection time.

The UAV forward flight speed must be slow enough to be compatible with the sweeping motion

so that an object would remain within a camera footprint for the required detection time with

no coverage gaps.

Object Detection during a Coordinated Turn The UAV must be able to turn around to continue scanning the area. Your team may find it useful to use

turns of different radii to fully cover your search area. During a coordinated turn, the body of the UAV is

rolled to provide a lifting force which points toward the center of the turning arc. The tighter the turn,

the more “g”s are pulled by the UAV, increasing the stress on the wings. Your wings must be designed

to sustain the tightest turn radius used in your Mission Flight Plan with the appropriate safety factor. Do

not plan to exceed 4 g’s when defining your tightest turn radius.

As shown in the figure below, during a coordinate turn, camera footprint rotates as the UAV rotates

about the turn. If the forward flight speed is maintained from straight and level flight during a

coordinated turn, then the middle of each camera footprint will cover the ground for the same duration;

however, at the inside of the turn the ground will be covered by a longer duration and at the outside of

the turn the ground will be covered by a shorter duration. The coverage duration of this outside edge

must be longer than the required detection time to contribute to the total coverage area.

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Figure 9. The overlapping camera footprints must sufficiently overlap for object detection or object confirmation during a coordinated turn at the inside of the turn and the outside of the turn.

Flight Path for Full Coverage of the Search Area Flight In the Search and Rescue mission, one of the primary goals is to scan the entire search area using object

detection criteria. The flight maneuvers calculated in your Mission Flight Plan become building blocks to

document how your UAVs would fly to cover the entire search area. Straight and Level Flight

Maneuvers can be stretched longer as needed. Coordinated Turn Flight Maneuvers can be created for

different radius values. Create a flight path for full coverage of the search area in support of your

Mission Flight Plan.

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Figure 10. Example of an assembled coverage area from pre-calculated flight maneuvers and their individual coverage areas.

Transitioning to Object Confirmation after Object Detection In the example mission, the UAV system crew must find the missing child among four decoy objects

which look like the missing child from far away. These five objects are scattered about the large search

area and each one requires detection and confirmation. Your team must specify in the mission plan

how the UAV system will transition from an object detection flight maneuver to a flight maneuver

appropriate for object confirmation. Example scenarios are provided to highlight transitions that

require controlling the sensor payload and transitions that require controlling the UAV altitude.

Depending on your teams UAV configuration, a combination of these two scenarios may be required.

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Scenario 1: UAV at High Altitude Zooming for Object Confirmation.

Figure 11. One method to transition from detection to confirmation is to zoom.

At point (a) the UAV is flying over an object that might be the missing child. The required detection

resolution allows a wide search cone, a wide camera field of view, and a large camera footprint to be

used. After the child has remained within the camera footprint for the required detection time, the

Sensor Payload Operator becomes aware of the object (i.e. object detection), but is not yet certain

whether or not it is really the missing child.

At point (b), the Sensor Payload Operator zooms in on the object to satisfy the required confirmation

resolution, which requires a narrower search cone, a narrower camera field of view, and smaller camera

footprint. When the missing child is within the narrower confirmation search cone, the Sensor Payload

Operator can see the object with enough detail to begin the confirmation process.

At point (c) the UAV continues flying over the object as the Sensor Payload Operator manually pans and

tilts the sensor payload to keep the center of the camera aimed at the object.

At point (d) the UAV is flying past the object and the Sensor Payload Operator is still in the process of

confirming whether or not the detected object is the missing child. The corners of the camera footprint

have exited the narrower confirmation search cone, but the camera center is still aimed at the detected

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object which is at a ground location within the confirmation search cone and the Sensor Payload

Operator can still see the details of the detected object.

If the required confirmation time has passed and if the detected object is still within the confirmation

search cone, then the detected object can be successfully identified (i.e. object confirmation) as either

the missing child or just something that happens to look like the missing child from far away.

Scenario 2: UAV Descends to Confirm Object Identity.

Figure 12. Another method to transition from detection to confirmation is to lower altitude.

Approach, Landing, and Refueling/Maintenance, as Required While conducting a mission, each UAV will have to return to base and land at some point. This will

happen at either a planned time, such as for refueling or at the end of the mission, or at an unplanned

time, for maintenance, erratic behavior, et cetera. In your Mission Flight Plan, describe this process and

demonstrate that each UAV in the system has enough fuel to complete its portion of the mission and

return home and land. If refueling is required, document this with the Flight Path. With regard to total

fuel requirements per flight, assume the worst case scenario where any of the UAV flights could

encounter all five object detection events and the requisite five object confirmation events and still have

enough fuel to return home and land. Add a 5% fuel margin to account for fuel that could get stuck in

the corners of the fuel tank.

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Total Mission Time Calculation The final portion of your team’s Mission Flight Plan is to tabulate to total mission time required to drive,

setup the UAS, launch each UAV, fly the chosen flight path to scan the entire area with all UAVs, refuel

as required, perform the five object detections and five object confirmations, return to base, land, and

breakdown the system to load it back into the trailer shelter and drive back.

Hypothetical Illustration: Low altitude, wings-level observational posture, moderate flight speed,

sensor orientation straight down. A new Search and Rescue (SAR) company was recently awarded an

“indefinite quantity/ indefinite delivery” contract to assist in rescue operations of potentially lost

children on the large Philmont Ranch in New Mexico. Just a few weeks after the contract was signed,

the company was notified that a child had gone missing and was potentially injured. Once at the

location, the search contractor team determined that the rugged terrain and large geographic area

dictated an unmanned aircraft search option as the fastest and most reliable method for locating the

lost child. The search team had also determined that a low altitude flight path would have the best

chance for detecting the lost child visually from the air due to the dense brush covering a large portion

of the terrain, and the unpredictable seasonal weather that could rapidly bring in low-lying clouds.

The SAR aircraft is flying its programmed search grid semi-autonomously at low altitude with an electro-

optical sensor oriented straight down when an object is detected by the ground station real-time target

identification software as potentially being the lost child. The software cues the Payload Operator, who

is seated at the ground control station, that a potential object of interest has been detected. The

software also automatically logs the registered geographic location and image frame at time of

detection in memory. Due to the low altitude, the camera footprint on the ground is small, and the

flight speed of the aircraft means that the object is rapidly out of frame before the Payload Operator has

a chance to observe it on the real-time video feed. The Payload Operator opens the stored frame and

associated geolocation information from the software on her secondary screen. The object is

inconclusive to the Payload Operator when she views the stored image on the screen. She

communicates the object geographical coordinates to the Operational Pilot, who reprograms the aircraft

flight route to return to that location and perform a loitering maneuver. The Operational Pilot also sets

the aircraft flight altitude to a higher altitude and reduces the flight speed so that the camera slew-rate

and aircraft maximum turn rate are not exceeded during the loitering maneuver. The loiter altitude,

flight speed, and turning radius were calculated in advance by the search team when they were

determining their mission search strategy so as to maximize the chances of target confirmation.

Once the Operational Pilot verifies that the aircraft is loitering over the correct geographic coordinates

and at the correct altitude and flight speed, the Payload Operator commands the camera payload to

point at the location identified by the software, and sets the camera zoom setting to the predetermined

optimal setting to guarantee that the minimum pixel specification required for confirmation is achieved.

She confirms that the object identified by the software is the lost child, and notifies the rescue squad of

the child’s coordinates. The aircraft remains loitering over the lost child while the ground rescue team

navigates their way over the difficult terrain. The Payload Operator maintains radio contact with the

rescue team to assist them with locating the lost child through the use of the live video feed from the

aircraft. Once the lost child is safely in the care of the rescue team, the Payload Operator informs the

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Operational Pilot, who then inputs the landing approach sequence into the aircraft control software

interface. While the aircraft is autonomously executing its standard approach to the designated landing

area, the Safety Pilot observes the aircraft making an unplanned rapid descent. The Safety Pilot

immediately takes over manual control from the software and safely lands the aircraft. The lost child is

treated for minor injuries and is returned safely home. The search contractor receives accolades from

their customer for the rapid and successful rescue under difficult circumstances.

Propulsion System Selection Guidelines Your selection of propulsion system is primarily driven by aircraft weight. Begin by estimating what size

of aircraft you would like to build, and go from there. The provided Mathcad worksheets will provide the

final verification that the engine choice you have made is sufficient to satisfy the airworthiness and

performance requirements. As an initial guess, assume that you need 100 Watts of engine power per

pound of UAV so, for example:

Table 3. Estimated engine sizing requirements.

Aircraft Gross Weight Engine power estimate in Watts

Engine power estimate in hp

5 500 0.7

25 2,500 3.4

55 5,500 7.4

The Mathcad worksheets which will be provided to you will provide a more refined analysis based on

the characteristics of your particular vehicle (lift-to-drag ratio, etc.), and you can refine your engine

selection if necessary. You may also wish to spread your power requirements out over multiple engines.

You will size your fuel/battery requirements based on your mission requirements and the load that your

aircraft is able to carry.

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Business Case Guidelines At the end of the day, systems which become available in the free market must present a compelling

value proposition to potential customers. The judges are interested in your team’s understanding of the

tradeoffs between cost and performance, and in your team’s ability to justify your particular design as

compared to other choices you could have made, and other competing approaches, from the standpoint

of cost and value. In order for your team to arrive at a place where this can be done convincingly, it will

probably be necessary for you to evaluate a variety of options (single vs. multiple UAV systems, large vs.

small UAVs, etc.) and be able to elucidate your down-selection process. In the event that you have

arrived at a solution which may not provide the best value to the potential customer, but which you

cannot change for other reasons, your ability to identify and explain that shortcoming is a valuable

demonstration of learning as well.

Amortized System Costs When considering a business venture, it is necessary to estimate the costs in advance, so that it is

possible to determine if a profit can be made at the price which the market will bear. While you are not

being asked whether or not your system will be profitable, you must estimate the cost of your system in

order to evaluate it against other designs you could have chosen, as well as other completely different

approaches.

For the purposes of this challenge, there are two primary components of cost. The first is the “initial

cost” – the capital which must be invested in order to design and build the system. This is normally a

difficult task because inevitably more engineering effort is required than originally estimated,

requirements sometimes change and require redesign, and unanticipated obstacles present themselves

and must be dealt with. In many cases, businesses fail while trying to execute this phase of a business

plan. This task has been significantly simplified for you by the removal of explicit engineering costs, cost

of capital, marketing, and overhead which a company must normally support. For this challenge, you will

only tally the cost of the individual components required to assemble your system in order to determine

the “initial cost.” In practice, however, the “initial cost” would be many times the value you will

calculate.

The second component is “direct operating cost.” Again, this has been simplified. Considerations of

ongoing fixed costs other than those required to operate the system (insurance, interest, depreciation,

an administrative staff, sales staff, lawyers, engineers, computers, offices, paper, etc.) and a profit

margin are removed from this analysis. You must only tally the direct costs incurred in operating your

system during the given worst-case mission. Those direct costs include fuel and direct labor costs, as

outlined elsewhere in this document. You will almost certainly discover that the major cost in operating

your “unmanned” system is, ironically, human labor.

In order to determine a reasonable "total cost per mission," the initial costs should be spread out over

the anticipated life of the system, and added to the commensurate direct operating costs. As a good

approximation of the life of this system, add the initial system cost and the total operational cost per

mission for fifty missions and then divide this total cost by fifty missions. If the analysis included ongoing

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“fixed costs,” as well as those items removed from the “initial cost,” the total cost per mission would be

several times the value which you will calculate, and the price you would need to charge in order to

make a profit would be higher still.

Market Assessment Qualitatively assess the competitiveness of your system at your cost. This can be done by comparison to

other types of systems which do similar missions (manned aircraft, for example) or by comparison to the

costs encountered by other agencies which conduct SAR operations (US Coast Guard, local law

enforcement). What are the characteristics of missions for which sUAS provide a compelling value

proposition? Are there missions for which they aren’t compelling?

Cost / Benefits Analysis and Justification Clearly show the cost / benefits trade-offs which drove your major design choices and sensor payload

selection. (Why is your vehicle able to do this mission less expensively than another, or why is it a better

value?) Place special emphasis on justifying the decisions your team made with respect to cost when

compared to other options. If, with the benefit of hindsight, you feel that better decisions could have

been made, discuss those opportunities.

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Sensor Payload Catalog RWDC has created the following sensor payloads to be utilized in the design of the UAV system. Only

sensor payloads in this catalog may be used.

Sensor Payload Model X1000

Figure 13: Sensor Payload Model X1000

Sensor Payload Model: X1000

Price: $8,000

Stabilization: Excellent

Imager: Daylight Electro-Optical Camera

Roll Limits about x-axis: 30° pan left 30° pan right

Pitch Limits about y-axis: 30° tilt up 30° tilt down

Roll/Pitch Slew Rate: 50° per second

Video Format: NTSC

Video Frame Rate: 30 frames per 1.001 second

Video Scan: Interlaced

Continuous Zoom: No Zoom

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Camera Profile: Horizontal: Vertical:

Resolution: 640 pixels 480 pixels

Wide Angle Field of View: 40° 20°

Telescopic Field of View: n/a n/a

Weight: 0.50 pounds

Center of Gravity: (measured from front, right corner at red X)

x: 1.75 inches

y: 1.75 inches

z: 1.00 inches

Dimensions when Mounted: Internal Volume: External Volume:

x Length: 2.50 inches 2.50 inches

y Width: 2.50 inches 2.50 inches

z Height: 2.00 inch 0.25 inches

Voltage In: 5-12 volts

Power Draw: 1.5 watts (nominal) 2.0 watts (maximum)

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Price: $25,000






Video Format: NTSC



Continuous Zoom: 1x Wide Angle to 2x Telescopic



Wide Angle Field of View: 80° 60°

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Telescopic Field of View: 40° 20°

Weight: 0.80 pounds


x: 2.0 inches

y: 2.0 inches

z: 0.5 inches






Power Draw: 2 watts (nominal) 4 watts (maximum)

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Price: $38,000






Video Format: NTSC






Wide Angle Field of View: 55.00° 5.500°

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Telescopic Field of View: 41.25° 4.125°

Weight: 2.10 pounds


x: 2.00 inches

y: 2.00 inches

z: 0.75 inches







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Price: $42,000






Video Format: NTSC



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Wide Angle Field of View: 64.0° 4.0°

Telescopic Field of View: 48.0° 3.0°

Weight: 4.25 pounds


x: 2.5 inches

y: 2.5 inches

z: 0.0 inches






Power Draw: 2.5 watts (nominal) 5 watts (maximum)

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Price: $75,000






Video Format: NTSC



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Wide Angle Field of View: 60° 2.0°

Telescopic Field of View: 45° 1.5°

Weight: 7.50 pounds


x: 6.00 inches

y: 6.00 inches

z: 0.00 inches







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Propulsion System Catalog RWDC has created this catalog of propulsion systems to be used in designing your UAS. You may use

others, but must provide at least the same level of detail as is provided here. Note that, for the purposes

of CAD modeling, all propulsion modules will use the same volume and shape assumptions. Mass and

other performance characteristics will change according to the selection. The all-inclusive weights

include the ignition battery, if required, fuel lines, engine mounts, propellers, mufflers, and spinners.

The maximum horsepower available is given for sea-level standard-day conditions. This power should be

factored by the density ratio for the flight condition that you are considering. Tables of atmospheric

density are widely available, and one example calculator is at http://www.digitaldutch.com/atmoscalc/

Example. Standard-day sea-level air density is 1.225 kg/m3. If you are considering flight at 10,000 ft MSL

on a day which is 10°C warmer than standard conditions, the density at that flight condition will be

0.872, which gives a “density ratio” of 0.712. That ratio will provide a reasonable estimate of the

horsepower and static thrust available under those conditions, when compared to the horsepower and

static thrust available under sea-level standard conditions. For the purposes of this challenge, the effect

of air density on engine performance is negligible for electric-powered aircraft.

Propulsion Module GL-6 Description 1-cylinder, 2-cycle

Unit weight, all inclusive 0.5 lbs.

Displacement 0.25 cubic inches

Propeller 9 x 6 (inches)

Maximum horsepower 0.6 hp @ 15,000 RPM

Static Thrust at Sea Level, Standard Conditions 2.1 pounds thrust

Specific fuel consumption 60 fl-oz/hp/hr

In-flight propeller efficiency 75%

Fuel Glow fuel (10-20% Nitro)

Ignition Glow plug

Cost $109.99

http://www.digitaldutch.com/atmoscalc/

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Ignition Glow plug

Cost $499.00






Static Thrust at Sea Level, Standard Conditions 13 pounds thrust

Specific fuel consumption 55 oz/hp/hr



Ignition Glow plug

Cost $545.00

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Propulsion Module GA-55 Description 2 cylinder, 2-cycle








Fuel 87 octane mixed 30:1 with oil

Ignition Electronic (4.8-12V input)

Cost $595.00

Propulsion Module GA-110 Description 2 cylinder, 2-cycle








Fuel 87 octane

Ignition Electronic (4.8-12V input)

Cost $795.00

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Propulsion Module E-6 Description Brushless DC electric

Unit weight, including gearbox, propeller, and speed control 0.43 lbs


Maximum power 600 Watts @ 6,500 RPM


Engine efficiency 94%


Input voltage 11.1-14.5V

Batteries Not included

Cost $170.00

Propulsion Module E-20 Description Brushless, DC electric

Unit weight, including gearbox, propeller, and speed control 1.1 lbs.








Cost $295.00

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Propulsion Module E-70 Description Brushless, DC electric

Unit weight, including gearbox, propeller, and speed control 3.5 lbs.








Cost $559.00

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Ground Station Description and Catalog Figure 1 (shown in an earlier section) is provided as guidance of one possible configuration of the

ground control station. Your configuration will depend on the UAV design choices made by your team.

The required ground control station equipment is described in the following table:

Table 4. Description of Ground Control Station Equipment.

Component Description Required Quantity

Per Item Cost

Safety Pilot Flight Box

Handheld flight yolk for the Safety Pilot to directly manipulate the control surfaces of a single UAV during an emergency. Transmits data via the Command Datalink. Used by 1 Safety Pilot.

1 per UAV

$200

Operational Pilot Workstation Computer

Laptop computer and software for the Operational Pilot to configure, manage, and update waypoints for a single UAV. Flight altitudes, flight speeds, coordinated turns, loiter points, and directions of travel can be commanded. Feedback regarding UAV position, orientation, and velocity are reported. Transmits and receives data via the Command Datalink. Used by 1 Operational Pilot.

1 per UAV

$1,500

Sensor Payload Workstation Computer - Version A

Laptop computer and software to display video data to the Sensor Payload Operator. Includes controls to manually modify the pan, tilt, and zoom of a single sensor payload and/or command the sensor payload to follow a repeated routine of pan, tilt, and zoom commands. Displays feedback information regarding the orientation of the sensor payload with respect to the mounted UAV axes and with respect to the inertial frame of reference. Displays the position on the ground toward which the sensor payload is pointed. Receives video data via the Video Datalink. Transmits sensor payload commands and receives sensor payload feedback via the Command Datalink. Used by 1 Sensor Payload Operator. (*Note: Any combination of Version A and Version B Sensor Payload Workstation Computers may be selected as long as provisions are specified for the control and monitoring of each sensor payload.)

1 per sensor payload*

$2,000

Sensor Payload Workstation Computer - Version B

Advanced laptop computer and software suite capable of the following:

simultaneous display of video data from up to 4 sensor payloads,

manual pan, tilt, and zoom control of a single sensor payload when selected,

command of a selected sensor payload to follow a repeated routine of pan, tilt, and zoom commands

automated detection of objects according to the specifications of Table 2 in Requirements for Selected Detection Method,

1 per set of 4 sensor payloads*

$12,000

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Per Item Cost

display of feedback information regarding the orientation of the sensor payload with respect to the mounted UAV axes,

display of feedback information regarding the orientation of the sensor payload with respect to the inertial frame of reference, and

display of the position on the ground toward which the sensor payload is pointed.

When the video scanning software has automatically detected an object, the sensor payload operator is alerted and must take manual action to confirm the identity of the detected object. Receives video data from up to four separate Video Datalinks. Transmits sensor payload commands and receives sensor payload feedback via the Command Datalink. Used by 1 Sensor Payload Operator. (*Note: Any combination of Version A and Version B Sensor Payload Workstation Computers may be selected as long as provisions are specified for the control and monitoring of each sensor payload.)

Command Datalink Ground Transceiver

Signal amplifier and omni-directional antenna mounted on a collapsible tripod used to transmit and receive command data between a single UAV and the ground control station. Communicates with the Command Datalink UAV Transceiver at distances up to 3 miles. Interfaces with 1 Safety Pilot Box, 1 Operational Pilot Workstation Computer, and up to 10 Sensor Payload Operator Workstation Computers that are communicating with the same UAV.

1 per UAV

$300

Video Datalink Ground Receiver

Signal amplifier and pair of omni-directional antennas mounted on a collapsible tripod used to receive video data from a single sensor payload. Communicates with the Video Datalink UAV Transmitter at distances up to 3 miles. Interfaces with 1 Sensor Payload Operator Workstation Computer.

1 per sensor payload

$400

Shelter/Trailer Essentially a mobile office and workshop, this will provide the desk space for the workstations outlined above, as well as room to transport the aircraft, tools, fuel, generators, and other ancillary equipment. Shelters are available in different sizes to accommodate your team’s particular UAS configuration. The size is indicated by the number of UAV Racks that can be installed within the Shelter. A single UAV Rack can hold either two UAVs that are 5 feet or less in length or one UAV that is 10 feet or less in length. There are three shelter models available:

The Streamline Shelter model supports 1 UAV Rack.

1 per sUAS

$12,000 Streamline

$14,000

Fleet

$16,000 Armada

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Per Item Cost

The Fleet Shelter model supports 2 UAV Racks.

The Armada Shelter model supports 3 UAV Racks.

Operating Personnel

The humans required to operate the sUAS including the pilot, payload operator, and others. You will identify your crew needs based on your sUAS design.

See section “sUAS Operational Personnel Requirements”

50

Additional UAV/UAS Equipment Catalog Following are the other components which you may select from in order to complete your sUAS.

Table 5. Description of UAV components.

Component Description Dimensions LxWxH (inches)

Weight Required Quantity

Per Item Cost

Video Datalink UAV Transmitter

The device which transmits the video captured by the payload to the ground control station. Wired to a single sensor payload. Communicates with a single Video Datalink Ground Receiver. Install at least 18 inches from other antennas. Consumes 0.4 Watts. Variable input voltage 5V to 24V.

1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5 (interior) 0.25 x 0.25 x 3.00 (exterior)

0.05 lb 1 per sensor payload

$200

Command Datalink UAV Tranceiver

The device which sends and receives the communication signals between the FCS and the pilot in the Ground Station. Communicates with a single Command Datalink Ground Tranceiver. Install at least 18 inches from other antennas. Consumes 0.3 Watts. Variable input voltage 5V to 24V.

3.0 x 2.0 x .0.5 (interior) 0.25 x 0.25 x 5.00 (exterior)

0.10 lb 1 per UAV

$300

Onboard Video Recorder

The optional device records the video should you choose to store it on-board for later review rather than transmitting the data live. Alternative to Video Datalink. Consumes 0.3 Watts. Variable input voltage 5V to 24V.

5.0 x 4.0 x 2.0 (interior)

0.35 lb 1 per sensor payload

$600

Flight Control System

The system which actually controls the aircraft and communicates with the pilot in the ground station. This system will be provided to you. Consumes 0.1 Watts. Variable input voltage 5V to 24V. Functionality includes:

GPS navigation and telemetry for operating the vehicle and payload.

Ability to relay sensor payload commands (pan, tilt, zoom) from ground control station, and ability to implement repetitive sensor payload command routines (e.g. sweeping pan back and forth) .

4.0 x 2.0 x 0.5 0.10 lb 1 per UAV

$2,000

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Component Description Dimensions LxWxH (inches)

Weight Required Quantity

Per Item Cost

Autonomous flight controls can include capabilities to fly a pre-programmed fight path (waypoint following) as well as the ability for the ‘operational pilot’ to update aircraft flight patterns in real-time during the mission.

Fuel tank Holds the fuel. Shape and size determined by your team to fit within the airframe and hold sufficient fuel.

Either COTS solution with characteristics provided by vendor or custom design by team with characteristics determined by team analysis.

Batteries Choose light-weight batteries to supply enough energy to the various UAV components included in your sUAS design. Note that if you have selected a “gasoline” engine, you will need to provide ignition power.

COTS solution. Characteristics provided by vendor.

rwdc state aviation challenge: detailed background

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