UAV Helicopter Project

12-May-08

Presented by

Mark DielWhirled Air Incorporated

Stanford University

The Opportunity Is…

Develop, manufacture and sell the follow-on helicopter to the Yamaha RMAX using up-to-date technologies and processes, a state-of-the-art control algorithm and a newly created ground control station.

The Next Generation UAV Helicopter

UAV HelicopterSystem Ground Station

and Terminal

Communication

Flight ControlSoftware

Position Dataand Sensors

Payloads

DataAcquisition

NetworkCommunication

MissionProgramming

Kalman Filter

Competitive Advantage

Features unique to the planned system:

• High reliability mechanics for operation in harsh rugged environments.

• Advanced software flight controller for high maneuverability.

Other features:

• Easy human-robot interface for “out of the box” operation by non-pilots.

Today’s “hobby” class helicopters cannot survive a war theatre environment such as Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Mark: Can you add some text with semi-technical details on this? I.e., sealed bearings, etc.?]

Rugged mechanical design

Most current autonomous helicopters are not very agile. Vulnerable even to small arms fire. Need excessive amounts of time, fuel to carry out missions.

Rugged mechanical design

Unique competitive advantage: We have by far the most capable autonomous helicopter controller in the world.

Control technology will enable unskilled operator to fly the helicopter through rapid, aggressive maneuvers—at a skill level comparable to the very best, expert, human pilots.

Easy waypoint user-interface

Takeoff

Fly To

Loiter 30min, 100 feet

Fly To (Evasive maneuvers)

Loiter 200min,

Fly To (Slow surveillance flight)

Land

Revenue Model

Cost of Goods Sold (COTS) …

Mechanical – 120 parts plus engine $30KAvionics – IMU, GPS, magnetometer $15KFlight Computer – PC based, custom circuitry$7KGround Station – PC based, enclosure $8KLabor $15KTotal $75K

Unit Selling Price $195K

*Based on the sale of 100 units per year

Phase One Investigation and Feasibility

Deliver a Feasibility Demonstration Helicopter Capable of fast aggressive flight GPS navigation, no vision Convenient user interface

Generate the Customer Requirements Document and Product Specification

Formalize the Business Plan

Phase TwoDesign and Prototype

Design the Helicopter Airframe

Build in Autonomous Takeoff and Landing into Flight Control Software and Avionics

Complete Ground Terminal Development

Build Two Prototype Systems

Demonstrate 100 hours of Flight Testing

Phase ThreePreproduction Prototypes

Built Six Preproduction Prototypes

Verification Testing including Environmental

1000 Hours System Life Testing

Vendor Approval and Tooling Qualification

Process Development

Customer Early Delivery and Support

Development Schedule

1

Jun

2

Jul

3

Aug

4

Sep

5

Oct

6

Nov

7

Dec

8

Jan

9

Feb

10

Mar

11

Apr

12

Mar

13

Jun

14

Jul

15

Aug

16

Sep

PhaseOne      

PhaseTwo                  

PhaseThree        

Budget

Phase One$125K plus Stanford?

Phase Two$1.2M

Phase Three$850K

UAV Helicopters

Lightweight Laser Scanner

3D Laser Scanner

Significant helicopter expertise:• Developed controllers for a large fleet of autonomous helicopters. • Widely acknowledged to be the leading helicopter control group in the world.

Significant robotics expertise:• Including control, sensing, perception.

Technology transfer to Teletronics.

Autonomous helicopter and robotics expertise

…