People Finder UAS

Greg Laxton

ASCI 530 – Unmanned Aerospace Systems

7.4 - Research: Request for Proposal - RFP

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

24 September 2015

 

People Finder UAS

The mission I’ve selected for this assignment is an unmanned aerospace system (UAS) capable of search and rescue after a large area, natural disaster. The UAS is named the “People Finder” and will accompany rescue agencies when they need to locate individuals or groups, and mark the location. The UAS will be launched from a small case carried by search and rescue personnel. It will have the capability to survey in a grid pattern, detect human life, and operate under austere conditions and in inclement weather.

 

Derived requirements

1.      Air vehicle element

1.1.   Shall be capable of hover flight

1.2.   Shall be capable of sustained flight time in excess of 30 minutes

1.3.   Shall be capable of attaining a minimum of 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL)

1.4.   Shall be capable of operating in steady winds up to 25 nautical miles per hour (MPH)

1.5.   Shall be capable of sustained flight in excess of 30 nautical MPH

1.6.   Shall be capable of visual line of sight (VLOS) flight to distance of 3 kilometers

1.7.   Shall provide capacity to fly preprogrammed search patterns

1.7.1.1.            Shall be capable of storing 12 search patterns in onboard memory

1.7.1.2.            Shall be capable of flying to GPS waypoints

1.7.1.2.1.                  Shall be capable of storing 24 GPS waypoints in onboard memory

1.8.   Shall provide minimum of 5000 milliampere an hour (mAh) to sensor payload

1.9.   Shall be capable of sustained exposure to moderate rainfall for minimum of 30 minutes

1.10.                    Shall have exterior strobe light visible from 4 kilometers at night

 

2.      Payload

2.1.   Shall be capable of infrared (IR) video capture

2.2.   Shall be capable of video capture

2.3.   Shall provide ability to transmit streaming video to a (LOS) range of 5 kilometers

2.4.   Entire payload shall not consume more than 2000 mAh

 

3.      Cost

3.1.   Shall be less than $25,000 (equipment cost only)

3.2.   Shall require less than 8 hours of quarterly training per operator (classroom and hands-on training combined)

 

Test Requirements

 

1.      Air vehicle element

1.1.   Test air vehicle for hover capability

1.2.   Test air vehicle for sustained speed

1.3.   Test vehicle for maximum height

1.4.   Test vehicle for flight endurance

1.5.   Test vehicle for manual control maximum range

1.6.   Test vehicle acceptance of 12 programmed routes

1.6.1.      Test vehicle ability to fly programmed routes

1.7.   Test vehicle acceptance of 24 GPS waypoints

1.7.1.      Test vehicle ability to fly sequential GPS waypoint routes

1.8.   Test vehicle ability to sustain flight in moderate rain

1.9.   Test ability to see (unaided) vehicle strobe light at distance of 4 kilometers

2.      Payload

2.1.   Test IR senor ability to capture video

2.2.   Test payload ability to capture video

2.3.   Test payload ability to transmit video to control module

2.4.   Test payload ability to transmit IR video to control module

3.      Cost

3.1.   Test ability to train operator within 8 hours (hands-on and classroom instruction)

 

The development approach used for the People Finder is the waterfall method (Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). The waterfall method is preferred for this project because the short, 12 month timeline, from concept design to development and certification (Terwilliger, Burgess, & Hernandez, 2013). The waterfall method is also preferred because of the focus on budget concerns (Terwilliger, Burgess, & Hernandez, 2013). The Nevada UAS test site is the selected location for all flight test and certification activity (Federal Aviation Administration, 2015). Slots are tentatively scheduled for September-November 2016.

The derived requirements for the People Finder flow from the mission parameters. A large area natural disaster will have minimal services and may lack reliable electricity. The UAS must be able to operate in this environment to support search and rescue. It must be portable, robust and actually be able to find people.

 

Although I didn’t include “transportability” as one of the three major base categories for this assignment, the air vehicle must be portable and weigh less than 25 kilos in its carrying case. The ability to operate in windy or rainy conditions is a must. A natural disaster from a typhoon or tornado may have high winds and rain in the search area. The 30 MPH sustained design criteria speed should allow the UAS to maintain at least 5 MPH against a 25 MPH maximum operating limit wind. Finally, the ability to locate people in need of assistance in the disaster area is paramount. To accomplish this, the design criteria reflects a need to capture IR and daylight video; transmitting it back to the operator.

References

Department of health and Human Services. (2008, March). Selecting a development approach. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/CMS-Information-Technology/XLC/Downloads/SelectingDevelopmentApproach.pdf

Federal Aviation Administration. (2015, August). Unmanned aircraft systems test sites. Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/test_sites/

Terwilliger, B., Burgess, S., & Hernandez, D. (2013, September 25). System development and test & evaluation (T&E) [PowerPoint].
Document posted in Embry-riddle Aeronautical University ASCI 530 online classroom, archived at: https://erau.instructure.com/courses/18917/pages/7-dot-1-module-topic-reading?module_item_id=560777

Whitford, D. (2006). Cross-curricular initiatives in NSCI170. Document posted in University of Maryland University College NSCI 170 6981 online classroom, archived at: http://campus.umuc.edu