Project Focus: Developing a flexible and extensible platform for evaluating perception sensors for a variety of applications on UAVs. The Engineering Challenge: Small robotics often require the integration and fusion of multiple sensors to create a single localization estimate. Often robotics projects do not have the resources to create realistic prototype platforms for multiple sensors, resulting in crude mockups, simulations, and engineering judgement being used to select navigation sensors early enough in project timelines to ensure selected sensors are properly integrated into the final platform. In 2023-2024, a joint ME/ECE team designed, constructed and flew a quad-rotor UAV (see figure 1) featuring a sensor attachment platform on all six faces of the drone, with each platform housing four different electrical and communication connection ports. The drone is capable of carrying more than seven pounds of sensors for over a 15-minute flight time, and accommodates the various wiring and connectivity needs of a dynamic suite of sensors. Description of Problem/Project: This year's project will result in the creation of an electromechanical interface that would allow for the rapid integration and changing of different sensors including EO and IR cameras, various COTS IMU assemblies, LIDAR, radar, etc. on a supplied UAV. Students would be tasked with designing an electromechanical mounting schema that is capable of toolless mounting and unmounting of sensors from multiple points around an existing UAV. The interface must be able to support multiple communication protocols and multiple voltages to power the sensor. It is expected that the project will culminate in the delivery of 6 vehicle side interface packages and 10 sensor-side interface packages. Additionally, the team will be required to refine existing power distribution methods on the existing UAV.

Our team collaborated with Mechanical Engineering 16 on this project.