Mission type
The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) will bead used by the firefighting
command post for surveillance, reconnaissance and search and rescue operations
in wildfire outbreaks. The timeframe for
developing the product from baseline requirements will be one year.
Baseline requirements
Payload
1.
Shall be capable of color
daytime video operation up to 500 ft. AGL.
2.
Shall be capable of
infrared (IR) video operation up to 500 ft. AGL.
3.
Shall be interoperable with
C2 and data-link.
4.
Shall use power provided by
air vehicle element.
Command & Control (C2)
1.
Shall be capable of manual
and autonomous operation.
2.
Shall provide redundant
flight control to prevent flyaway.
3.
Shall visually depict
telemetry of air vehicle element.
4.
Shall visually depict
payload sensor views.
Data-link (communications)
1.
Shall be capable of
communication range exceeding two miles visual line of sight (VLOS).
2.
Shall provide redundant
communication capability (backup) for C2.
3.
Shall use power provided by
air vehicle element.
Derived requirements
Payload
1.
Shall include a self-stabilized
HD camera with zoom suitable for a range of 500 ft. AGL.
2.
Shall include a multi scale
IR heat detection camera suitable for a range of 500 ft. AGL.
3.
Shall include a communication
module with a dual channel for C2 and datalink.
4.
Shall include a battery
capable of supporting the additional electric requirements of the payload as a
third priority beside the electric motor and the communication.
Command & Control (C2)
1.
The Auto Flight Control
shall have a dual mode of autonomy and remote control.
2.
The Auto Flight Control
shall contain a dual channel where the second channel will autonomously perform
an RTB navigation and landing.
3.
The control station shall
be a touch screen military grade PED that integrates a display of housekeeping
parameters upon request.
4.
The control station screen
will display imagery from the HD video camera and a multi scale image of IR
imagery colored according to heat intensity.
Data-link (communications)
1.
A directional gain-seeking
antenna shall provide Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication with low
attenuation for a range of two miles minimum.
2.
An omnidirectional antenna provides
a backup channel for C2.
3.
The battery shall be
capable of withstanding the communication electrical demand as a second
priority beside the electric motor and the payload.
Test requirements
Payload
1.
HD video and IR camera test
for self-stabilization in turbulent thermal conditions and image enhancement
for various temperatures and smoke obstructions.
2.
Communication module allows
dual channel operations without mutual interference.
3.
Battery capacity loading to
assure proper power supply along different load and temperature regimes.
Command & Control (C2)
1.
The AFC will be connected
to a simulation program and the autonomous ability will be tested in a range of
sensor inputs, and the relay of RC inputs to servos will be simulated (Austin, 2010).
2.
The AFC backup channel will
be tested for situations of primary channel electric failure or lack of
integrity. Upon activation of the backup channel, a simulation of homing
function will also be tested to demonstrate an autonomous RTB navigation and
landing.
3.
Display of housekeeping data
and health and usage monitoring system HUMS will be checked for integrity and
latency. The CS software will be checked for automatic call up of unhealthy
parameters, and automatic identification of operational state of the UAS (Austin,
2010).
4.
Raw images will be tested
against filtered images to demonstrate the correct processing of digital HD
video and IR images.
Data-link (communications)
1.
Test of the directional gain-seeking
antenna shall demonstrate correct tracking of the aircraft at different antenna
height configurations and assure Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication with
acceptable attenuation for a minimum range of two miles.
2.
Assure that the
omnidirectional antenna starts transmission upon latency of primary C2 channel
within a two mile range.
3.
The battery capacity and
electric load controller shall be ground tested for reliability at different
charge states and electrical loads.
Development process
The development concept for realizing the top-down product
will be utilize a Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach. This will assure a high quality system
against the cost restrictions, and take advantage of iterative processes for the
similar system components, especially that all components are COTS (Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2008).
Design rationale
The design will be based on a fixed wing aircraft powered by
a forward electric propeller. The airframe
will be composite light weight material.
The wing span will assure adequate left at low speed and low motor
demand to assure adequate endurance and reduce battery size. The UAS will be
hand launched and will be capable of withstanding landing impact utilizing
skids. The UAS will be detachable to
allow transport in a light weigh box together with the antenna and CS.
References
Austin,
R. (2010). Unmanned aircraft systems: UAVS design, development, and
deployment. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(2008). Selecting a development approach. Washington, DC: Department
of health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Retrieved from
http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/CMS-Information-Technology/XLC/Downloads/SelectingDevelopmentApproach.pdf
