News article written by Corbett Communications. The statements made or opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Engineers Australia.
After 15 years of development, Israeli tech firm Urban Aeronautics is set to get its 1.5 tonne passenger-carrying UAV, The Cormorant, off the ground and into the market by 2020. Billed as a flying car, the vehicle can carry up to 500kg in weight and travel at 185km per hour.
Unlike other (manned and unmanned) aircraft, the Cormorant's autopilot relies primarily on inertial and ground reference - more complex than flying through open, unobstructed airspace. It features proprietary technology aircraft known as Fancraft as it uses internal rotors rather than helicopter propellers.
Although it’s about the size of a family car, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is priced at US$14 million, so it’s not for everyone. Its makers believe it could be used to evacuate people from hostile environments or allow military safe access to certain zones. A flying trial was held in November, with the first autonomous pattern flight conducted, including low flight over uneven terrain.
CEO Rafi Yoeli set up Urban Aeronautics in a large hangar in 2001 specifically to develop the drone which was previously known as the Air Mule. He said the Cormorant can fly between buildings and below power lines without the risk of blades striking nearby objects.
Data from numerous sensors including two laser altimeters, a radar altimeter, inertial sensors, and an electro-optic payload camera are the foundation of the Flight Control System (FCS), according to Urban Aeronautics. In the future, obstacle avoidance sensors will also be installed. Based on the integrated data collected from the various sensor inputs, the FMS must "make a judgment" whether any momentary erroneous or inaccurate data from any individual sensor will or will not cause large deviations from the flight path.
This results in a split-second decision on whether to continue the mission, return home or make an immediate landing until further instructions. The challenge in designing and testing an FMS for a configuration that has never been addressed by standard flight control algorithms, according to the company, is like the analogy of a novice pilot attempting to fly for the first time with an understanding of basic aerodynamic principles but without an instructor.
While development of the Cormorant is on course, it’s not ready for a smooth take-off just yet as US Federal Aviation Administration standards and the flying trial revealed small issues with conflicting data sent by on-board sensors. However, Urban Aeronautics has 39 patents registered to the vehicle so there is little concern about being usurped by competitors.
The Cormorant’s next flight test will include ongoing development to improve the smoothness of transitions through the various flight modes (take-off, climb, acceleration, cruise, deceleration, descent, turns, hover and touch-down), in addition to increasing speed and manoeuvrability. Watch the November 2016 flight test.
Author: Desi Corbett
Image: The sky’s the limit for the Cormorant. Source: Urban Aeronautics.