Conception and development of a universal, cost-efficient and unmanned rescue aerial vehicle

Abstract

To this day, charities have not been able to provide individual help for people in need. The aim of the thesis was to develop and construct a universal aerial transporter which could be used to support charities in disaster scenarios. The focus was on the technical development based on the results of a feasibility study. The main requirements for the development were in particular: the lowest possible cost for acquisition and maintenance, providing an easy way of reproduction and the ability to control the system using mobile devices. The legal aspects and the collision avoidance were given less priority or were not considered. In order to identify the current capabilities of charities and their actual problems, a survey among different organisations was done. The results suggested the need for a transport solution. As suitable transport solutions already exist for goods of a mass of at least 50 kg and a transport distance of not less than 100 km, this thesis focuses on the development of a solution below that range and mass. Various other research works were considered, and it became obvious that most of the research was not concerned with the individual support in rescue operations. These findings were used to gather the requirements for the solution. Subsequently, a market research was carried out and possible solutions were compared. As it became apparent that there was no suitable solution available, it was decided to develop a new aerial vehicle. To this end every part that was needed and suitable was individually compared and selected. After the transport vehicle had been developed, the system was built. Parts which were not available, especially for the frame and the universal mounting system, were also developed and produced. In order to increase the flight time of the vehicle, materials of a very low mass were used. During the project a prototype of a universal and unmanned aerial vehicle was successfully developed and constructed. For the transport of different types of goods two different types of universal payload mounting systems were designed. The latter was capable of holding goods with a mass of up to 5 kg. The system allows control of the vehicle in a very convenient way using a mobile device like a smartphone or a tablet. No regular remote control was needed, though still being supported by the system. By means of an android application missions could be created and transmitted wirelessly to the vehicle. After the transmission the system performed the mission autonomously. Due to an insufficient stiffness of the frame, a longer flight test is still outstanding. The automatic release of the payload at the destination required an adjustment of the used application or at least a regular radio control in range. The servo motors used for the mounting system tended to yaw their arms and also required a permanent power supply. Further developments should review the use of alternative motors for the mounting system.