The UFO Design Team presented their final design review for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Their design included updating the testing platform with safety improvements, redesigning the UFO frame to be lighter and more rigid, and completing tuning of the attitude control system for 3 degrees of freedom. While they were able to see load cell data, communication of the data required further work. The team concluded by recommending improvements for future projects and lessons learned around project scheduling, documentation, and use of resources.

1. UFO Design Team
Final Design Review
Faculty Project Leader:
Dr. J Jim Zhu
Graduate Research Assistant:
Sandra Zhao
Undergraduate Research Assistant:
Kyle Berry
Senior Design Team:
Adam Schultz
Matt Levine
Huafeng Liu
Adam Farwick

2. Final Design Review
● Introduction
● Final Design
● Verification and Test Results
● Programmatic Summary
● Conclusions and Recommendations

3. What is the UFO?
The UFO was envisioned to implement, test and verify the
trajectory linearization control autopilot or TLC
❏ Design and implement a guidance and navigation
system for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Vertical
Takeoff and Landing capabilities able to be field
deployed.
❏ For greater Difficulty a tri-copter was selected to better
test the TLC autopilot

4. Concept of Operation
The concept of operation for the UFO is as follows: The UFO will perform a simulated take off using
the HITL platform. The UFO will stabilize on the platform for a period of time. Once the flight is
complete the UFO will perform a simulated landing by raising the platform back up.

5. What Was Completed
This Year?

6. Final Deliverable
Final Deliverables:
● A unique vertical-takeoff field deployable aerial vehicle
capable of flight
● A more robust data link between ground control station
and UFO
● Newly designed UFO frame, free of potentially
damaging vibrations with tuned autopilot

7. Final Design Summary
HITL Testing Stand:
● Platform supports have been updated with
square aluminum tubing
● Steel brackets have been added
● Platform was raised to meet new frame size
● 5-volt power supply has been integrated for
easy operation
● Quick disconnect to Hi-Q added to protect pins
from being bent during excessive yaw
● Emergency stop button moved from relay box
to independent box which can be moved or
extended
● LiPo battery can now be controlled by
emergency stop

8. Final Design Summary
Frame:

9. Final Design Summary
Communications:
JR3 PCI Interface software is installed and
functioning correctly on the Load Cell PC. This
software displays all three force vectors along
with their moments in real time. This software has
been useful in determining at what point the UFO
is actually generating enough lift to theoretically
become airborne.

10. Final Design Summary
System Modeling: Measure and calculate moments of inertia
for new frame, due to different distribution of components
Component
Mass
(grams)
Distance of component to axis
(cm)
x-axis y-axis z-axis
sc1 82 17 0 7
sc2 82 -10 15 7
sc3 82 -10 -15 7
lm1 320 30 0 0
lm2 320 -28.5 27.5 0
lm3 320 -28.5 -27.5 0
yf1 114 3 -19 0
yf2 114 3 18.5 0
ysc1 15 1 8 4
ysc2 15 1 8 4
mma1 50 28 0 5.5
mma2 50 -27.5 25 5.5
mma3 50 -27.5 -25 5.5
MATLAB script to calculate cross-moments
Update values in initialization.m

11. Final Design Summary
3 DOF Tuning:

12. Verification and Test Results
Attitude Control Loop

13. Verification and Test Results
Conclusion
The redesign UFO frame met requirement
weight cut 1 lbs
room for future upgrades
The testing sand and safety shield
The 3DOF tuning:
Platform
Power cable

14. Programmatic Summary
Budget:
The budget as it currently stands. Note: New frame and expo poster were purchased out of pocket.
These out of pocket expenses are being reimbursed by prize winnings from student expo.
Vendor Part Cost Balance
Pex Supply Split-ring $11.86 $488.14
Advantage Hobby Rod ends $12.37 $475.77
Lowes Lumber, Plexiglass,
Hardware, EStop
Housing
$73.95 $401.82

15. Programmatic Summary
Schedule Gantt Chart
*Deadline: May 1, 2014

16. Programmatic Summary
Personnel time:
Fall semester: 12 hours/week
Winter break: 3 hours/week
Spring semester: 20 hours/week

17. Programmatic Summary
We have good control of our budget, but we
had a hard time keeping on schedule.

18. Conclusions
Test stand and load cell
Able to see data but could not get data on Hi-Q
Platform improv and stand updated
Safety shield was added for extra protection
UFO
New Frame rigid , lighter , cost effective , repairable , scaleable
Control system 3 DOF completed to our skill level
New problems ground effect on platform and power cable

19. Conclusions
Recommendations for future teams:
● Replace HITL platform drawer tracks to descend lower (ground effect is
not completely removed during simulated take-off)
● Proceed with 6DOF tuning
● Develop propeller protection for outdoor and off-stand testing
● Tether system to keep UFO from drifting off during off-stand testing
● Determine alternate method of communicating load cell data

20. Conclusions
Lessons Learned:
● Proper scheduling and time management
o If you think you are on schedule, re-examine - never tell the customer you are on track
unless 100% sure
● Documentation is important
o Keep detailed notes and progress reports throughout working on project - they will be
useful later
● Take advantage of all resources
o Faculty advisors and graduate students may have tools or resources to reduce workload
(i.e. programs to calculate important values)
● If working individually on group assignments, allocate work properly to
avoid confusion and miscommunications

21. Questions?

22. Questions?