ESUMS RWDC
Detection Plan
3. Document the Missions
3.1 Logistics Mission
In preparation for designing the logistics mission, the communications specialist identified companies with products and services similar to those described here and contacted them with a list of questions regarding their specific missions, functionality, UAV endurance, and several other topics. These companies included Precision Hawk, Trimble, SenseFly, American Unmanned Systems, and Kaman Corporation, and the questions created by the communications specialist are detailed in Figure 3.1a. Only SenseFly responded to this inquiry, providing valuable information regarding their unmanned aerial systems. A SenseFly representative explained that their newest drones can stay airborne for 59 minutes, are all below 5 lbs, are battery-powered, communicate using real-time telemetry, and are “used in survey and mapping applications ranging from inventory management to environmental research.” They also explained that their user-friendly interface is one of their key selling points, as users can operate the software after only a one-day course, and the drone is capable of piloting itself with no remote input. This information significantly influenced the team’s mission design and proposed business model.
Figure 3.1a. Questions sent to UAS companies for expert input.
3.1.1 Theory of Operation (Example Logistics Mission)
The logistics mission consists of the drone transporting an eight pound payload a distance of one mile and returning without refueling or recharging. This mission is one of the required missions for the challenge. Its purpose is to transport a single large tool to the farmer in a part of the field located a maximum of 1 mile away from the UAV’s starting point. The purpose of the tool and its delivery to the farmer is variable but can range from hammer, screwdriver, or wrench requiring repairs to highly technical field-specific agricultural tools such as monitoring devices that might need to be maintained regularly to be effective.
To complete the logistics mission, first, the crew, operator, or farm assistant brings the necessary equipment to transport and secure the drone within the trailer rack. After loading the equipment, the crew then secures the equipment using straps attached to the loading platform. The technician will then drive the trailer to the launching destination, and a crew member will unload the equipment and set up the car-top launcher. At the destination, the eight pound payload will be secured to the drone in a storage compartment on the underside of the UAV, and the car top launcher will be attached to the top of the truck. The drone will then be ready for take off, programmed with the GPS location of the farmer in need of the tool. It will be monitored by a crew member during the duration of the flight. The team’s design specifications and calculations ensure that the UAS will be able to complete the logistics mission with ease.
The restriction of time for this mission is dependent upon the amount of power the drone has when the command for this mission is deployed. While the Logistics mission required the UAV to carry an eight pound payload a one mile distance to and from its destination ( without replenishing its fuel source), the UAS may cause the drone to move at a speed (slow or fast) in conservation of the amount of energy that it has (low or high) for the UAV to endure the mission’s distance.
The amount of manpower required for this mission was moderate. The transportation of the drone utilized a trailer which the UAV and its additional equipment (i.e its car top launcher and loading platform) were to be secured to. Driving to the farmers desired launch location, attaching the payload to the UAV, and fixing its car-top launcher and loading platform to the bed of the trailer were the major constituents of manpower that this mission entailed.
3.1.2 Logistics Mission Design Considerations
When considering the type of farm in which the UAS would be implemented, the team selected a corn farm, as corn the most common crop produced in the United States and is also prevalent in Connecticut, accounting for a large portion of food consumption. The selection of a farm with a mix of crop and cattle allowed the team to target the missions towards the maintenance of crops with additional livestock assisting capabilities. This mission encompassed the delivery of an eight pound payload of tools to the farmer traversing a 1 mile distance by the UAV. The UAV’s additional photographic and transportation abilities further supported its function on a mixed crop and livestock farm by enabling the UAV to transmit real-time images of the livestock positions within the field and collect soil samples to test fertilizer quality.
The structure of this mission is beneficial to the farmer’s daily tasks, as it minimizes the transportation part of the process, saving time, fuel, and money. Rather than having to travel to the field to locate and analyze areas of needed maintenance then travel back to a central location to retrieve the necessary tools needed to maintain it, the farmer is able to have items brought directly to them, deducting the transportation portion of their daily tasks. This saves not only transportation time, but also minimizes the money spent on fuel and the environmental impact of harmful vehicle emissions.
Using a UAS to complete this mission allows for the efficient distribution of equipment to the farmer in the field, while the farm assistant or operator stays in the central system where the information can be processed. Other methods such as manual collection and distribution of such information increases the amount of labor that must be done to collect different pieces of information from different areas of the field. This would increase the amount of money and time that the farmer must spend on such a task. Because of this, a UAS proves most efficient for the farmer and their workers in terms of cost and labor.
As this mission required the highest payload (eight pounds) to be lifted and for the UAV to fly the longest distance (one mile) that the drone is required to travel without refueling or recharging, it requires a greater amount of energy conservation. Energy conservation will only allow for a minimum amount of energy to be used to provide the most flight time, which is likely to reduce the amount of thrust that the UAV produces, decreasing its velocity and retrieval and retreat time. This conservation allows for the remaining missions to have enough energy for to be completed as they are beneath time constraints.
3.2 Survey Mission
3.2.1 Theory of Operation (Example Survey Mission)
To begin the survey mission, the farmer and/or technician and data analyst arrive on site with the UAS, and leaves the truck rental at corner of the field. The technician removes the drone from the UAV racks, places it on a wooden pad or other flat and level surface to launch. As it flies, the drone relays data to the ground control station, using the data transceiver to transfer the GPS and position data, as well as visual spectrum video recording and moisture detection data collected by the thermal imaging function on the Zenmuse XT camera. A technician is monitoring the data stream from the trailer in case of an emergency, maintaining visual line of sight and preparing to transfer the data to a stable computer storage system for future analysis. Once the autonomous flight has been completed, the drone descends to landing altitude near its starting position and is captured by the technician. The drone is then repacked into the trailer. The thermal data is transferred from the HDD of the drone to the laptop for analysis, and the system moves to the next field, if any fields remain in this particular situation. It will be recommended to the farmer that the field be revisited two more times during the year for comparison data, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the best method of irrigation and moisture application.
The limits to time spent in flight for this mission are based on the needs of camera and sensors to survey a .25 square mile section of the field. The drone will certainly be able to stay aloft for the required 30 minutes and may be able to fly for longer periods of time depending on wind conditions and battery efficiency (decaying over time). While the flight patterns of the drone are the surveillance of a cubic area, the need for the camera to capture high definition footage of the field while the drone is in flight constrains the speed and distance requirements of the mission to produce better quality imaging, thus creating a time limit of 30 minutes for the drone to complete the mission.
The level of manpower required for this mission was heightened in comparison to other missions. Manual activity is key to the structure of this mission, as the farmer/consumer, analyst, and driver must each participate in launching the drone, moving into position, or monitoring and collecting incoming data. Depending on the urgency with which the farmer requires the data, the thermal imaging information for moisture detection could be stored and transferred to the data analyst to be studied at a different time, thus somewhat decreasing the time and manpower requirement.
3.2.2 Survey Mission Design Considerations
The team’s selection of a corn farm including the possible presence of livestock has changed this mission to be applicable to both focuses of the farm. The team’s survey mission was modified so that it would survey crops using sensor technology for moisture detection and livestock monitoring. The team’s choice of corn as the primary crop is notable here, as corn can grow in a wide variety of climates and environmental conditions, making it one of the major food-producing crops worldwide. Therefore, corn may be subject to many different humidities and may need additional moisture in areas of low rainfall. The survey mission can detect this lack of moisture and notify the farmer that more water should be applied to the dry area, or that the irrigation systems should be checked.
The mission’s primary objectives were flying at a distance of 0.25 square miles, maintaining lift for a period of 30 minutes, and carrying a payload the weight of an HD camera (with its additional sensory and monitoring capabilities). This function aids the farmer in allowing the operator to gain a vast analysis of the overall condition of the farm. The farmer could easily find the areas of the field that required maintenance, as well as which of the livestock needed their attention. This enabled the the farmer to better resolve any incoming issues with their field in a timely fashion. Water was also conserved by its application only to areas where it was most needed, providing a larger supply of water to be preserved in areas where water was scarce.
Using a UAS reduces the time required to complete a similar mission compared to other methods. It is easier to detect moisture and pests through the use of the drone as it is completed with precise technology and rigorous analysis, which will not require human attention to finish the mission. There are moisture detector scanners that will serve the same purpose, however they are more time consuming than the UAS since areas of the fields would have to be scanned individually from ground level. This may lead to hiring more employees to work on the detection process, increasing cost to the farmer and administrative complexity. Additionally, this will increase the cost for the owner solely to complete the moisture and pest detection.
Major compromises were not necessary with this mission in order to satisfy the other required missions, however, a minor addition to the design of the drone to satisfy this mission by including sensors for moisture and pest detection was needed. More than one sensor would be required, as there are two factors that are being detected, moisture and pests. While these additional devices were added weight to the drone and therefore increased its needed amount of thrust, their mass does not significantly affect overall drone, as their weight is almost negligible compared to the other components.
3.3 Dash Mission
3.3.1 Theory of Operation (Example Dash Mission)
At the start of the mission, the UAV is given an object that weighs a maximum of two pounds. This payload is variable and can range from any emergency tool or supply that the farmer may need such as a first aid kit in the event that the farmer/farmhand or livestock is faced with a minor injury within the field. The drone will additionally have sensors to measure humidity and temperature and complete emergency weather checks for factors such as precipitation or heat, sending obtained information to the ground control station of the product. While carrying its payload, the drone will fly at the fastest possible speed without exceeding the FAA limit 87 knots. The drone will travel 1.5 miles away from its starting location and stop to deliver its initial payload or complete a quick sensor reading. After completing this task, the drone will return to its starting position having taken a sensor reading or delivered its previous payload. Assuming that a receiver of the object had been at the other end of the 1.5 mile distance, the drone may potentially return with another object from the end receiver. As the drone returns to its starting position, it will continue to travel at its maximum speed and weight capacity without breaking the limits of each. While the maximum speed that the drone may travel depends solely on the preference of the user (as prefered maximum speed may be adjusted by the user based on the conditions of their farm), time constraints are also dependent of this factor due to the inversely proportional relation of speed to distance.
The manpower needed to complete this mission mainly consists of the operator of the UAS, where setting the UAV’s speed and receiving information is the only task required of them. Operations such as the manual activation of the drone will require little to no manpower from the consumer. This mission may also require the service of a data analyst. While immediate decisions about inclement weather must necessarily be made by the farmer, analysis of long-term trends and viability of external weather predictions could be made by an expert in this area.
3.3.2 Dash Mission Design Considerations
The selection of a corn farm had minimal effect on the design of this particular mission. The team decided to proceed with a weather check for the dash mission. Since weather is an independent factor of farm type and therefore its crop, these factors would not significantly impact the outcomes of the dash mission. However, the location of the farm in Connecticut does impact the viability of the weather check function, as Connecticut has comparatively mild weather compared to the rest of the country. If this UAS was manufactured and used in other areas of the country, factors like high wind speeds, high summer temperatures, or more frequent extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes might impair this mission’s functionality, as the UAV would be unable to fly in such severe conditions.
Using a UAS to complete the dash mission task would serve the same purpose as manual labor would. However, in terms of time and convenience, using a UAS to complete this mission would be more efficient, quicker, and more precise. Other methods, such as the use of an auxiliary weather monitoring apparatus, may be less specific to the farmer’s field area, requiring the farmer to test variables such as humidity and precipitation independently. While the alternative method does complete the necessary task, it increases its complexity, making it more susceptible to error due to its difficulty and longevity. Having an emergency weather check in the capabilities of the UAS would make weather monitoring simple and concise for the operator.
The compromise the team made with this mission was to add a Quick Sensor. Adding this sensor was not a major issue or a problem in comparison to the other parts of the drone, but it was necessary to meet the requirements of the dash mission and fulfill the functions specified above. In addition to the other sensors that the team added for the survey mission, the weight summed to below the weight requirement, but any added weight had to be taken into account in the design to assure flight stability. This led the team to reorganize the placement of the components (mainly sensors) to distribute the weight of the drone equally.
3.4 Additional Farm Missions
The additional missions the team designed were 3D imaging, livestock monitoring and bioassessment. By adding a second high-resolution camera to the payload, the team found that the farmer would be able to conduct 3D imaging of the farm. The technician will be able to take still images from different angles, remotely operating the drone, focus on radius, and even take a panorama for 3D image-stitch. The team decided to use the Autodesk software to take these images and turn them into 3D models for the farmer to analyze. The processing will be offered as an additional service. The team can train a crew member or a technician on the farm to use the software for an additional fee of $475, including basic drone operation and FAA certification.
The livestock monitoring mission will be done using the camera, as well as a GPS locator and pre-programmed mapping instructions. Since the camera will send a live feed to the technician, the technician can drive the drone to the area where the livestock is located, launch the drone, and monitor its progress through the live feed. This will reduce the work of the farmer as the farmer can monitor their livestock from one spot instead of going out to the location of the livestock and doing the monitoring in person. They can receive alerts if the animals move from a predetermined area, and intervene quickly to prevent animals from straying. This mission uses the camera and sensors already incorporated from previous missions, and therefore did not require extensive modifications and compromises to the initial design. The live-feed video monitor did have to be incorporated into the ground control station to meet line-of-sight requirements.
The third and final additional mission is the bioassessment. Using the camera, the drone will be able to take pictures of soil erosion conditions. If a farm is affected by soil erosion, the farmer can take a picture of the soil erosion condition on the farm and analyze it, either by sending it to an environmental research facility for assessment or by using a LiDAR mapping software to identify areas of decay and weathering. The drone will also be able to collect soil samples from workers in a field and transport them back to a lab for more complex testing. This would allow farmers to identify pest invasions, microbial or chemical contamination, or insufficient fertilizer long before it becomes a problem for farmers.
While the additional farm missions each hold a variety of variables aligning with the constraints of the drone, restrictions to: time, distance, and whether or not the drone may pause in the course of these missions to recharge or refuel are not made a requirement, and therefore allow the user to take a somewhat abstract approach in creating their own constraints to these. Restrictions such as the UAV’s limit of 87 knots of speed, maximum payload capacity of eight pounds,as well as the FAA’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations, must still be considered by the operator.
The amount of manpower required to complete each of the aforesaid missions is minimal as much of the drones flight patterns and activities are controlled by the end user of the UAS. The overall tasks which entail the load and removal of the drone’s payload are minimal and necessitate little to no force.
