2007

2007 Team

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Unmanned Aerial Vehicle team (SDSM&T UAV) has devised a two vehicle system capable of completing the mission in the allotted time of 15 minutes. The two vehicle concept is a result of extensive analysis of the team�s previous five vehicle concept. Advances in controller capabilities now allow two vehicles to accomplish the mission more efficiently while providing a more elegant, simple, and adaptable solution to the problem.

The system uses a helicopter to fly the three kilometer flight path and then search the structures for a symbol. The helicopter is capable of traveling the three kilometers in under seven minutes. The secondary vehicle, called the Structure Entry and Reconnaissance Vehicle (SERV), is transported to the structure by the helicopter. The SERV is deployed from the undercarriage of the helicopter after the target opening has been identified. It is designed to enter the building through the opening and search the interior of the building for a target. Video is sent to and recorded by the main vehicle�s onboard computer and simultaneously streamed back to the base station in compressed form. This communication system is illustrated in Figure 1. The SERV will continue to search the building until its onboard power has been depleted. The helicopter will return to a designated GPS waypoint after the SERV has been deployed.

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