Recent CEAS Aerospace Graduate Presents UAV Research at AHS International
Recent
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science
aerospace engineering graduate
Wei Wei
presented his work at the
AHS (American Helicopter Society) International's 71st Annual Forum and Technology Display
on May 7.
The three-day forum, held in Virginia Beach, Va., is the worlds leading international technical event on vertical flight technology. Weis work on System Identification and Controller Optimization of a Quadrotor UAV, which was co-authored with the U.S. Armys CIFER/CONDUIT software developer,
, was featured at the conference.
Weis PhD work focused on the system identification and control development of a quadrotor (having four propellers) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Under the guidance of his advisor, Kelly Cohen, PhD and professor in the
CEAS Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
, and Tischler, Wei developed a dynamic model essential for autopilot design for a wide variety of unmanned aircraft having multiple rotors. He used Tischlers computer program
to develop the dynamic models of multirotor systems. For this research in particular, he applied his method to quadrotor UAVs.
Weis research provides an efficient and effective method for multirotor system modeling and control development. It has a more accurate, less expensive model and control performance.
"A selling point for this configuration is its efficiency, in both time and money, and the accuracy," Wei says. "We're already proving it using flight-test data, and it has matched nearly perfectly. This would enable not only quadrotors, but any multirotors to operate on autopilot effectively."
During his time as a CEAS PhD student, Wei led a team of his fellow aerospace engineering students Bryan Brown, Jeff Bennett, Nicholas Schwartz, Vince DeChellis and Nathaniel Richards to apply his research and develop an autonomous UAV for the locally based company,
(formerly known as AMP Electric Vehicles). The UAV, named
, works in tandem with Workhorse electric delivery trucks to create a fast and safe method for delivering packaged goods.
The partnership between UC and Workhorse Group was secured through
(University of Cincinnati Research Institute), an independent nonprofit institution working to connect UC experts to industry partners, facilitate commercialization of research and enhance experiential learning for UC students.
There is currently a patent filed for the UC-Workhorse joint research HorseFly delivery drone. Wei has been working at Workhorse for the last few months and plans to transfer back to UC as an adjunct instructor in the very near future.
About the AHS Internationals 71st Annual Forum & Technology Display
The three-day meeting included more than 230 technical papers, totaling 250-plus presentations, detailing the latest theories and breakthroughs in vertical flight technology. Leaders in industry, academia and government discussed their perspectives on the future of vertical flight technology. Also included in the forum were panels of the CEOs of major helicopter manufacturers and suppliers, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy/Marine Corps aviation program managers, and other vertical flight science and technology leaders.
Guests of the conference had the opportunity to see the latest technologies from leading manufacturers, service providers, defense agencies, universities and research & development organizations as well as interact and share ideas with more than 1,200 of the worlds top vertical flight professionals.
For more information about the collaboration between the University of Cincinnati and Workhorse Group, please visit:
- http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/06/21/uc-researchers-develop-delivery-drones/11227635/
- http://www.uc.edu/news/nr.aspx?id=19929
- http://www.uc.edu/news/nr.aspx?id=19101
- http://www.local12.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/locally-made-drone-future-delivery-12537.shtml
- http://ceas.uc.edu/news-1314/ceas-develops-delivery-drones-with-amp-.html
Additional Contacts
Related Stories
UC’s Ground Floor Makerspace births combat robots
April 17, 2024
In the heart of UC's 1819 Innovation Hub lies the Ground Floor Makerspace, an advanced and active hub of ingenuity where students, faculty and the community converge to bring their ideas to life. This includes being the birthplace of robots much like miniature race cars, combating fender to fender in an enclosed boxing ring. Combat robots like UC's Maximizer will again be fighting for first place in the National Havoc Robot League (NHRL) competition, slated for April 20.
UC researchers develop new CPAP device
April 17, 2024
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are developing a VortexPAP machine that takes advantage of vortex airflow technology. A preliminary clinical study with current CPAP users demonstrated that the VortexPAP can deliver the pressure levels that are used in the subjects’ CPAP therapy, but the mask is more comfortable to wear. It has a minimalistic design that is less intrusive and barely touches the patient’s face.
UC architectural engineering alumna inspires high school students
April 16, 2024
University of Cincinnati alumna Emma Wilhelmus fell in love with engineering when she was in ninth grade. After taking drafting, architecture and engineering courses in high school, she set out to major in architectural engineering in college. Now, she is an engineering teacher at a local high school and hopes to inspire students.