|
The UAV is airborne and flying higher while guests on the ground applaud. Some witnessed the flight of a UAV for the first time
|
Hennie Bezuidenhout (Meraka Institute); Isaac Maredi, DST; Laurens Cloete, Lloyd Munday and Kagiso Chikane (Meraka Institute); Dr Thulani Dlamini, CSIR group executive and Chris Burger (Meraka Institute) - after the UAV had landed safely
|
Guests from industry, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the SA Air Force (SAAF), the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and academia who attended the début flight on 15 January 2009 by autopilot of a modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at White Hills Radio Flyers airfield in Centurion, applauded spontaneously as the aircraft descended on the mini runway.
This phenomenal achievement was not just another scientific
breakthrough; it heralded a new dawn for South African research that
combines the potential of information and communications technology
(ICT) with excellence in aeronautical design.
The planned test flight mission follows the successful maiden radio-controlled flight of this modular UAV a month ago at the same venue.
With funding provided by the DST and managed by the Meraka Institute of the CSIR, the project has reached an important milestone. Researchers have developed and tested a four-metre wing span modular UAV, incorporating a Stellenbosch University-developed autopilot. This airframe will be made available as a UAV test bed for use by researchers, universities and other tertiary institutions.
This milestone forms part of a bigger Meraka UAV project. Project manager Lloyd Munday of the Meraka Institute explains, "South Africa still does not have a single civilian UAV in operation. For these applications, the ICT component of the UAV is extremely important, because that is what makes the UAV useful. It links the UAV's payload, which could be a camera or radar, into some kind of larger integrated system designed to fulfil some basic user requirement, such as providing an aerial view of a forest fire." Munday prefers to speak of an unmanned aerial system, which captures this concept more accurately.
While the programme will focus on ways to make UAVs safer, cheaper and improve their access to airspace, Lloyd highlights a myriad possible applications for this sophisticated platform, "UAVs are changing the world we live in by enhancing activities ranging from support for humanitarian aid, environmental management and border control to traffic monitoring and control, agriculture, infrastructure surveys and monitoring and communications relaying. We will explore innovative ways of using ICT to its best advantage on the UAV."
Speaking on behalf of the DST, Isaac Maredi said, "What is critical to us, is the modular approach to the UAV," he said. "This is a very good approach and the next step is to work more on aspects of airframe."
Gerrie Smit from Armscor, one of the many guests attending the demonstration, said, "We assess requirements for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and also support it in refining its requirements. We are also looking at different systems to suit these requirements." He said that the SANDF had UAVs but "it is very expensive to run them and we are interested in finding better ways (of operating them). We are looking at some of these technologies being developed and their potential for industry," he said.
"After what I have seen today there seems to a possibility to use the UAV in the law enforcement environment with customisations that fit our requirements and specifications," said Director Leonie Ras from SAPS Technology Management. "This is a nice tool to have in our work environment." Ras said the UAV would be "good" for short-range operations. For 2010, she said, it could be used to monitor crowd movement around the venues. "This UAV seems to mind its own business in the air," she quipped, adding that it could be deployed to monitor trains, border lines and focus on contraband and smuggling routes.
Colonel Ian van Vuuren from SAAF said the UAV could lead to products for use by the SANDF and by other security services. "What is more interesting is to see a 'cross pollination' of all the entities interested and involved, which is excellent," he said. "The CSIR has laid the basis for a home-grown leading-edge UAV technology that we would otherwise have to buy from overseas."
The airframe was conceived, designed and the first prototype test flown by members of the CSIR's aeronautic systems area in a period of approximately six months.
CSIR principal researcher John Monk said the prototype design was conceptualised with a number of the potential research topics in mind including those of autopilot algorithm development, sense and avoid technologies, non-linear flight control, variable stability, structural optimisation and piezoelectric actuators. Even a solar-powered configuration has been considered during the design process.
"A modular design concept was chosen to allow changes to wing span and fuselage length and numbers to be easily made, altering the UAV's performance and handling characteristics to suit specific research payloads," he said.
Based on knowledge of UAV systems developed over the years, the CSIR chose to use electrical propulsion systems to improve the airframe's reliability as a test bed and reduce flight test risks. Each of the two fuselages is capable of being functionally independent of each other, each with brushless electric motors, speed controllers, batteries and flight control systems. Redundancy in the flight controls and propulsion systems is envisaged to enable longer term research on reconfigurable autopilots.
With funding from the CSIR, the Stellenbosch University's Engineering Systems Laboratory has further developed its autopilot technology previously used in the CSIR 'Sekwa' variable stability mini-UAV. This new autopilot has been integrated into the rear of the payload pod, leaving space for other payloads in the forward portions.
Under the same project, said Monk, the CSIR's aeronautics systems experts are also currently developing a UAV system integration laboratory (SIL) to simulate the UAV system and its flying characteristics. The SIL will consist of a high-fidelity simulated flight model of the UAV using actual flight test and wind tunnel test data. One UAV airframe with its autopilot will form part of the hardware of the SIL. This SIL provides the capability to test new UAV-related technologies in a controlled but realistic environment before committing to flight.
It is envisaged that both the SIL and the UAV will be utilised in future collaborative research programmes, the SIL being made available for use by other researchers to develop their software and systems before committing them to the actual UAV.
In line with the CSIR's human capital development strategy, six students from three different universities are currently being funded to do postgraduate research in areas related to UAVs with more students in the pipeline for 2009.
Baseline modular UAV specifications:
- Wing span 4 m
- Payload capability 10 kg
- Stall speed 54 km/h
- Dash speed 120 km/h
- Engine power 6 kW (less than 1 kW required in loiter)
- Flight duration 45 minutes.
The broader Meraka UAV team comprises Laurens Cloete (project coordinator), Lloyd Munday (project manager), Hennie Bezuidenhout (PMO manager) and Chris Burger (senior researcher), all from the Meraka Institute, with John Monk (project Leader), John Wesley (contract research manager), Dr Rene Heise, John Morgan, Manelisi Rwigema, Dr Bennie Broughton, and Beeuwen Gerryts (all from CSIR Defence, Peace, Safety and Security).
Enquiries: CSIR Communication
|
