KWAD (KSU all Weather Aerial Drone)
Disciplines
Aeronautical Vehicles | Computer-Aided Engineering and Design | Electrical and Electronics | Maintenance Technology | Navigation, Guidance, Control and Dynamics | Propulsion and Power
Abstract (300 words maximum)
This project, named "KWAD" or the "KSU allWeather Aerial Drone", was commissioned by Ultool, LLC to the KSU Research and Service Foundation with the overarching objective of creating a lightweight drone capable of capturing HD video during all-weather operation. The conditions of all-weather operation were defined as follows: the craft must be operable in rainfall of 1" per hour and wind speeds of up to 20-25 mph. In addition, a global minimum safety factor of 2 is required in order to ensure the structural integrity of the system in extreme weather conditions. Potential mission profiles as suggested by Ultool, LLC include autonomous inspections of naval ship hulls, topological mapping in high moisture areas such as caves or geysers, search and rescue operations, emergency transportation of medical supplies, and wildfire investigation. In addition, it has been recommended to use many 3D printed parts in the design, with the purpose of increasing the ease of servicing the craft. The timeline goal for the project is to have a working prototype that fits the design requirements by May the Eighth; the last day of KSU's spring semester.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Industrial and Systems Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Adeel Khalid
KWAD (KSU all Weather Aerial Drone)
This project, named "KWAD" or the "KSU allWeather Aerial Drone", was commissioned by Ultool, LLC to the KSU Research and Service Foundation with the overarching objective of creating a lightweight drone capable of capturing HD video during all-weather operation. The conditions of all-weather operation were defined as follows: the craft must be operable in rainfall of 1" per hour and wind speeds of up to 20-25 mph. In addition, a global minimum safety factor of 2 is required in order to ensure the structural integrity of the system in extreme weather conditions. Potential mission profiles as suggested by Ultool, LLC include autonomous inspections of naval ship hulls, topological mapping in high moisture areas such as caves or geysers, search and rescue operations, emergency transportation of medical supplies, and wildfire investigation. In addition, it has been recommended to use many 3D printed parts in the design, with the purpose of increasing the ease of servicing the craft. The timeline goal for the project is to have a working prototype that fits the design requirements by May the Eighth; the last day of KSU's spring semester.