CBL - Campus del Baix Llobregat

Projecte llegit

Títol: Desarrollo de mejoras en UAS para entornos de difícil acceso

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: ALONSO ZÁRATE, LUIS

Departament: TSC

Títol: Desarrollo de mejoras en UAS para entornos de difícil acceso

Data inici oferta: 02-11-2022     Data finalització oferta: 02-06-2023


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    MU DRONS
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: EETAC
 
Paraules clau:
UAS, drones, RPAS, comunicaciones, Xprize Rainforest
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
Este TFM desarrollará diferentes mejoras para permitir dar un
servicio adecuado basado en UAS en entornos de difícil acceso donde
resulte complicado tener un control, pilotaje y telemetría con la
calidad suficiente para desarrollar la misión.
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
The objective of this document is to study and verify the development and improvements in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for difficult access environments since this matter is a critical area of research and innovation. As the use of UAS in various applications continues to expand, the need for these systems to operate in challenging environments such as mountainous terrain, dense forests, or urban areas with high-rise structures is increasing.
The main motivation to start developing this project was the challenge exposed in the Xprize Rainforest Competition. The $10M XPRIZE Rainforest is a five-year competition to enhance the understanding of the rainforest ecosystem. I am part of the semifinalist team, Providence Plus, a multidisciplinary team composed by scientists from UPC, CSIC, MIT, and TUDelf.
The purpose of this challenge is to obtain the maximum amount of information on biodiversity in the rainforest, using drone technology in this type of environment, with all the difficulties inherent in this environment that must be overcome and that are also the subject of analysis in this work, to propose and compare the different solutions and technologies to achieve the objectives of said challenge. As resources for competing in Xprize Challenge are limited and the final solution shall be scalable, the technologies evaluated must be cost efficient and practical.
The first difficulty in this kind of environments is the signal strength and signal quality, not only for the drone commands but for the video and telemetry data. In this work, different solutions will be compared since analogic to digital technology.
The second difficulty is autonomy, in terms of energetic supply. Taking into account the Rainforest environment and environmental policies, the most suitable technology available is batteries. There are several types of batteries that are suitable for drones, depending on the size, weight, and specifications of the drone. There will be a comparison between the most popular ones. Apart from that, an analysis of different propulsion configurations (ideal motors and propellers) will be carried out in order to achieve an optimal flight time without compromising the structural integrity of the drone.
The third difficulty is reducing noise levels, in order to avoid disturbing the wildlife and with the goal in mind of having the best images possible, a study of different propellers will be carried out.
Finally, durability and weather resistance: Rainforests are characterized by high humidity, heavy rainfall, and extreme heat. Drones used in this environment must be built to withstand these conditions and be weather-resistant. This may involve using materials that can withstand moisture, designing waterproof housing for sensitive components, and installing heat dissipation systems to prevent overheating.

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