| Speaker : |
Dr. Peter G. Ifju (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering University of Florida) |
| Subject : |
Micro Air Vehicle research at the University of Florida |
| Date : |
March 19, 2004 (Lecture room 73, Faculty of Engineering bldg.7, Hongo campus) |
| Abstract : |
Micro Air Vehicles or MAVs are a class of small (typically less than 9 inch maximum dimension) Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) that have the potential to be used in both the military and civilian environment. They can be used for surveillance, chemical sensing, as well as monitoring wildlife populations. The University of Florida has established itself as a leader in the development, implementation, and understanding of MAVs. The UF MAV concept incorporates a unique flexible wing, which resembles that of a bat in structure. It is comprised of a carbon fiber skeleton and a thin latex rubber membrane. The wing is characterized by delayed stall and enhanced control through wind gust suppression. Flight tests, wind tunnel tests and CFD have been utilized to document the benefits of the flexible wing. In 1997 the International Micro Air Vehicle Competition was established as a mechanism to evaluate state-of-the-art. The University of Florida MAV Team has won this competition the last five years using the flexible wing concept. The presentation will include fabrication, flight testing, wind tunnel testing, control, computational fluid dynamics as well as video footage of the UF MAV concepts. |
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