Researchers from South Ural State University have developed a prototype of a device that can transport small unmanned aerial vehicles over long distances, for example, for the development of the Arctic or patrolling forest areas. Young researchers are working on the project as part of the Sirius.Summer program under the mentorship of SUSU scientists.
Built using the tandem design, this transport aircraft, codenamed "Kenguru" ("Kangaroo"), will be able to carry payloads or small drones with a total weight of up to two kilogrammes.
"The device will deliver a drone to its destination, where it will be accepted by an operator to perform the assigned tasks," said Konstantin Kolesnikov, student of the SUSU Aerospace Engineering subdivision. "When the UAV is performing its mission, the transport device can, while waiting for the unloaded object, charge itself before sending it back, or immediately and automatically return to the launch base empty. We are currently designing a trial version with solar panels for work in the Arctic. I would like to note that the drop-off of a quadcopter or drone from the transport device does not necessarily have to occur during landing. Those devices can be released in the air, while still in flight, and also returned back."
The 3 kg prototype has a total wingspan of 2 meters and a body size of 95.7 centimetres, which allows the device to carry 5 kg, taking into account its own weight, over a maximum distance of up to 80 km. The device can transport two drones simultaneously or one ground drone with a repeater, each controlled by a separate operator, or a load of a recommended weight of up to 1.2 kg.
The developers allow for the model to be scaled up in order to accommodate larger drones on board of the device: four times bigger than is currently possible.
Technically, the range of an independent quadcopter flight or ground drone is limited to 1 km. This is largely due to the small battery capacity and low power of the antennas installed on UAVs.
"Small drones and quadcopters can penetrate into places that are difficult to reach for larger models, but if a target is far away, then delivering such drones will be problematic − you will have to equip an expedition," explained Oleg Siverin, senior lecturer at the SUSU Department of Processes and Machines for Metal Pressure Treatment. "To increase the mobility of these expeditions and reduce the time it takes to prepare the devices, young researchers proposed using a complex for delivering several drones at once directly to the work site."
The advantages of the "Kenguru" transport vehicle are its compactness, modularity of the system (different compartments and necessary equipment can be installed), easy repair (most of the body is created using 3D printing, so individual modules can be reprinted), and its load-bearing capacity as related to its dimensions.
"Today, Russia is actively developing the direction that allows working with the so-called swarm systems, when several drones are combined into one working system," noted Oleg Siverin. "And the solution proposed by the students of our "Vektor" Association for synchronizing drones of not just different designs, but different types, has turned out to be quite interesting and extraordinary. It will allow the delivery of a swarm as close as possible to the place of execution of any task or mission, while maximizing the advantages of devices of different classes. When designing the device, the guys were taking into consideration both standard operating conditions and the self-sufficiency of the system, which led to a number of rather unusual solutions, for example, the use of the "tandem" scheme. The scheme allows to place almost any cargo in the cargo compartment, the functionality of which depends on the module supplied during the preparation process; these can be repeaters and solar panels on drones to increase the range of the signal, as well as an inertial automatic landing system for returning the UAV to the carrier in the air. We will be pioneers in this because there are no well-known analogues to our device yet."
This prototype is controlled by a remote control (up to 20 km) and an embedded autopilot system (50 km in one direction). The device can be launched from any site with a flat surface, without requiring a special base. When going beyond the communication range, the "Kenguru" will independently return to the launch site due to the activation of the protection system on the autopilot. Recharging is possible during the flight, and the device can be fully charged after landing.
The "Kenguru" transport vehicle for delivering drones over long distances can be used in the development of the Arctic, for example: to monitor glaciers and penguin migration, and to take samples of the Arctic ice using drones. Outside the Arctic, it can be used to protect forest areas, patrol areas with high risks of wildfires, and assist forest protection organizations, for example, in catching poachers.