Design and Development of Low-cost Multi-function UAV Suitable for Production and Operation in Low Resource Environments

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dc.contributor.authorStandridge, Zachary Dakotahen
dc.contributor.committeechairKochersberger, Kevin B.en
dc.contributor.committeechairRaj, Pradeepen
dc.contributor.committeememberMason, William H.en
dc.contributor.departmentAerospace and Ocean Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-07T08:01:03Zen
dc.date.available2018-07-07T08:01:03Zen
dc.date.issued2018-07-06en
dc.description.abstractA new flying wing design has been developed at the Unmanned Systems Lab (USL) at Virginia Tech to serve delivery and remote sensing applications in the developing world. The fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), named EcoSoar, was designed with the goal of creating a business opportunity for local entrepreneurs in low-resource communities. The system was developed in such a way that local fabrication, operation, and maintenance of the aircraft are all possible. In order to present a competitive financial model for sustained drone services, EcoSoar is made with reliable low-cost materials and electronics. This paper lays out the rapid prototyping and flight experiment efforts that went into polishing the design, test results from an EcoSoar centered drone workshop in Kasungu, Malawi, and finally a range optimization study with flight test validation.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralA new humanitarian drone has been developed at the Unmanned Systems Lab (USL) at Virginia Tech. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), named EcoSoar, was designed with the goal of creating a business opportunity for local entrepreneurs in low-resource communities. In order to be a viable solution in the developing world EcoSoar utilizes customizable 3D-printed parts and wings made from cheap materials like posterboard and packing tape. In addition, tools for building the drone have been developed in such a way that anyone can learn to construct and operate EcoSoar regardless of experience. This paper lays out the engineering efforts that went into the design, lessons learned from an EcoSoar-centered workshop in Kasungu, Malawi, and finally offers an upgraded design.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:16279en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/83877en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectRapid Prototypingen
dc.subjectDeveloping Countryen
dc.subjectPosterboard Wingsen
dc.subjectUAV Designen
dc.subjectRange Optimizationen
dc.titleDesign and Development of Low-cost Multi-function UAV Suitable for Production and Operation in Low Resource Environmentsen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineAerospace Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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