Innovative and Cost Effective Obstacle Avoidance/Navigation for Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

In Phase I, MSSI examined the performance and requirements of an Ultra Wideband (UWB) radar to provide small Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) obstacle avoidance sensing. MSSI upgraded existing UWB radar and tested to detect potential UAV targets including power lines and small moving airborne targets at long ranges. MSSI also examined the obstacle detection range requirements for small UAVs to include detection ranges, size, and weight and power limitations. MSSI found the radar provides sufficient detection ranges to potential airborne targets in a small low cost package. In addition, MSSI examined its UWB radar technology to provide situational awareness sensing for rotorcraft in brownout conditions. MSSI’s unique implementation of UWB provides a robust sensing approach for brownout. In Phase II, MSSI proposes to improve its radar in a spiral development process. In the first spiral, MSSI will develop a radar altimeter. This spiral will support integration of a radar on a UAV with independent wireless downlink. In the second spiral, MSSI will develop an obstacle detection radar with multiple fields of view for long range detection and obstacle azimuth localization. MSSI will demonstrate with flight testing the operation of this radar mounted on a hovering UAV.