Ten Years Into The Future

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Ten Years Into The Future ?
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Everglades Restoration
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Current Size Range of UAVs
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Two Distinct Directions

• Large
• Hand Launchable

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Large UAS

• Large Size - Complex, High Altitude
• Sensor Capability Digital, Thermal,
  Hyperspectral, Lidar
• Range - Ocean Crossing, Fully Autonomous, Armed
• Communication Ground, Air to Air, Air to
  Satellite
• Large Ground Station
• Costly to Purchase and Operate

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Global Hawk
Wingspan 116 Speed 400 mph Length
44 Time Aloft 35 hours Range 12,000
Miles Weight 25,600 lbs. Altitude 65,000
Northrop Grumman
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UAS Cost Comparison
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Area of Emphasis
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Hand Launchable UAS

• Weight 10 lbs.
• Wingspan 8 or less
• Small Size - Quick Response, Small Crew
• Sensors - Digital, IR, Thermal IR, See Avoid
• Range - 15 Miles
• Communication Air to Ground
• Low Cost - Purchase Operate
• Low Altitude Less Than 500
• Small, Highly Portable Ground Station

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Five Years Ago

• Unreliable Gas Powered
• Fragile Design
• Low Resolution (Heavy Camera)
• No Water Landing Ability
• Twenty Minute Flight Duration
• Every Flight Major Deal

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Battery Progression
Key Point Not only has the physical size and
weight of the batteries been reduced but the
energy density has increased.
Nickel Cadmium
Nickel Metal-Hydride
Lithium Ion
Lithium Polymer
Lead-Acid
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Visual Camera Development Resolution vs. Weight
450g
100g
200g
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Current UAS Capability

• Electric Powered
• 10 Meg. Digital Sensor
• 45 Minute Flight Time
• Water Landing Capability
• Highly Accurate GPS Driven Autopilot w/ Timeslice
  Camera Image Capture
• Electronic Sensor Control From Ground Station
• Forward Looking Downward Looking Position
  Awareness Camera
• Durable Mission Sustainable Construction
• Mobile Ground Station

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Current Mission Types

• Highly Accurate Digital Photography
• Vegetation Identification
• Invasive Species Identification Analysis
• Environmental Restoration Assessment
• Wildlife Census
• Cumulative Permit Impacts
• Thermal Imaging
• Reconnaissance
• Disaster Analysis

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2008

• Survey Grade IMU Sub Meter Accuracy
• Daylight Thermal Imaging Flights
• Longer Flight Durations (2 hours)
• Larger Payload
• Increased On-Board Data Storage
• Higher Resolution Digital Imaging
• More Advanced Sensor Package
• Data Integration Dissemination w/Google Earth

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Expected Developments Capabilities Next Ten
Years

• Even Smaller UAVs Capable of Below Canopy Flights
• Squadron UAVs w/Total Autonomous Control
• UAVs That Draw Power From and Download Data To
  Powerlines
• UAVs That Mimic Bird Flights
• Capabilities of Operating w/ Minimal Datalinks
• Reduced Optics Size Weight

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Sensors On the Horizon

• Smaller Digital Sensors with Increased
  Sensitivity
• Smaller Multi Hyperspectral Sensors
• Increased Hyperspectral Databases
• UHF / VHF Foliage Penetration
• Smaller LIDAR (Light Detection Ranging)
• Lidar Aerosol Illumination
• Nuclear Detection Systems

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Missions to Come

• Survey Grade Mapping
• Sub Canopy Vegetation Analysis
• Sub Canopy Reconnaissance
• Radio Tracking Snakes Other
• More Complex Disaster Analysis, Inventory
  Mapping
• Contract Management Monitoring
• Crop Health Disease Management
• Cooperative Missions w/Water Land UVs
• Regulatory Compliance

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How Will Missions Be Flown - Organizationally

• Agency Owned
• Leased
• Contract Single or Blanket

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Barriers To Development

• INABILITY TO FLY
• On-Board Storage Limits
• Transmission Band Width
• Power Supply Limitations
• Sensor Size Reduction
• Public Perception Lack of Knowledge

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Where Will We Be In 10 Years?

• Much Smaller UAVs w/More Capability
• More Flying Operational Groups
• New Types of Sensors Increasingly Smaller Sensors
• UAVs Operating in Squadrons w/Ground, Air, Water
• Complete Sense and Avoid with Target Recognition
• Master UAVs Directing Others On Missions
• Long Range, High Speed Data Transmission

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Program Contributors
University of Florida Peter Ifju Ph.D, Youssef O.
Kaddoura, John H. Perry, Amr Abd-Elrahman Ph.D,
Ahmed Mohamed Ph.D, Bon A. Dewitt Ph.D, Scot E.
Smith Ph.D, W. Scott Bowman, Michael Morton,
Kyuho Lee USGS Florida Cooperative Fish
Wildlife Research Unit H. Franklin Percival
Ph.D, Adam Watts U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Col. Paul Grosskruger, Alan Bugg, Jim
Jeffords, Donnie Kinard, Larry E. Taylor, Jon
Lane