The evolution of technology in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has led to the miniaturization of the equipment on board these aircraft. The most used equipment mounted on a UAV is still the video sensor, with the help of which the video image from the aerial vehicle can be processed for dedicated applications (facility inspection, surveying and mapping, operational oversight, traffic control, etc.). In this paper, we present the prototyping of a three-axis gimbal using the direct drive technology to replace the current two-axis gimbal payload equipping our Hirrus UAV. The results demonstrate notable improvements both mechanically, by excluding the gearing of the transmission belt (generating friction and elasticity in the system), and in terms of video resolution, maintaining quality especially at high zoom levels (over 5x).
A miniaturized on-board platform for optic sensors stabilization is the proposed concept developed and tested by a multidisciplinary team of engineers under a UEFISCDI (the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding in Romania) research funding. The need for a UAV to capture images and give in-depth information of ground objects is fulfilled by the developed three-axial stabilized optical system. Modern techniques, technologies and state-of-the-art electronics are employed in the design process � by use of CAD, FEM and CFD software for multiple potential configurations trials; in the manufacturing endeavourwith 3D printing and CNC machining, as well as for software and hardware implementation and simulation testing- by use of robust control algorithms and adaptive control methods. The selected exterior shell of the optical system was derived under dimensional constrains imposed by the aerial platform, for aerodynamic efficiency and structural strength. The electric motors were selected for reliability and endurance under: weight and dimensional constraints.
Nowadays the composite materials have become the materials of choice to be used in the new aerospace structures that need to be not only larger and larger in size but also to be better performing in terms of aeroelastic responses inherent to thin-walled, slender structures. The advantage of composite materials airframes stems from their low structural weight which determines lower fuel consumption while preserving at the same time the airworthiness of the designed aircraft. But more important than the fuel consumption, the composite materials allow for the optimal tailoring of its layers in terms of specific design objectives. The paper presents such an aeroelastically tailored load carrying wing model which can passively control specific aeroelastic effects. The article focuses on the bend-twist coupling of the structural response to aerodynamic forces and on the parameter estimation/model updating techniques used to characterize the finite element model of the composite wing. Results are compared and validated with analytical, numerical and experimental data available in published literature.
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