PROJECT TITLE :

Autonomous Airdrop Systems Employing Ground Wind Measurements for Improved Landing Accuracy

ABSTRACT:

Aerial cargo delivery, also referred to as airdrop, systems are heavily stricken by atmospheric wind conditions. Guided airdrop systems sometimes use onboard wind velocity estimation ways to predict the wind in real time as the systems descend, however these strategies offer no foresight of the winds close to the ground. Unexpected ground winds can end in giant errors in landing location, and they will even lead to damage or complete loss of the cargo if the system impacts the bottom whereas traveling downwind. This paper reports on a ground-based mostly mechatronic system consisting of a cup and vane anemometer coupled to a guided airdrop system through a wireless transceiver. The steerage logic running on the airdrop system's onboard autopilot is modified to integrate the anemometer measurements at ground level near the intended landing zone with onboard wind estimates to supply an improved, real-time estimate of the wind profile. The concept was initial developed within the framework of a rigorous simulation model and then validated within the flight test. Each simulation and subsequent flight tests with the prototype system demonstrate reductions within the landing position error by additional than 30% also an entire elimination of doubtless dangerous downwind landings.